Coevolution of an Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetase with Its Trna Substrates

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Coevolution of an Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetase with Its Trna Substrates Coevolution of an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase with its tRNA substrates Juan C. Salazar*†, Ivan Ahel*†, Omar Orellana*‡, Debra Tumbula-Hansen*, Robert Krieger*, Lacy Daniels§, and Dieter So¨ ll*¶ʈ Departments of *Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and ¶Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114; ‡Programa de Biologı´aCelular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biome´dicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 70086 Santiago 7, Chile; and §Department of Microbiology and Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 Contributed by Dieter So¨ll, September 23, 2003 Glutamyl-tRNA synthetases (GluRSs) occur in two types, the dis- In bacteria, the ND Bacillus subtilis GluRS has been exten- criminating and the nondiscriminating enzymes. They differ in sively studied (9). Due to the lack of a canonical glutaminyl- their choice of substrates and use either tRNAGlu or both tRNAGlu tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) in this organism, the ND-GluRS is an and tRNAGln. Although most organisms encode only one GluRS, a essential enzyme in Gln-tRNA formation as it generates Glu- number of bacteria encode two different GluRS proteins; yet, the tRNAGln. This product is then converted to Gln-tRNAGln by tRNA specificity of these enzymes and the reason for such gene Glu-tRNAGln amidotransferase (10–12). However, the mecha- duplications are unknown. A database search revealed duplicated nism of how the ND-GluRS recognizes two different tRNA GluRS genes in >20 bacterial species, suggesting that this phe- substrates is not known, and the tRNA identity set for such an nomenon is not unusual in the bacterial domain. To determine the enzyme has never been determined. In contrast, organisms with tRNA preferences of GluRS, we chose the duplicated enzyme sets a canonical GlnRS enzyme possess a discriminating GluRS Glu from Helicobacter pylori and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. H. (D-GluRS), which recognizes only tRNA . The tRNA identity pylori contains one tRNAGlu and one tRNAGln species, whereas A. elements of a D-GluRS enzyme were reported for E. coli (13). ferrooxidans possesses two of each. We show that the duplicated Major identity determinants for this enzyme are located in the GluRS proteins are enzyme pairs with complementary tRNA spec- augmented D-helix (indicated in Fig. 1), which is formed by ificities. The H. pylori GluRS1 acylated only tRNAGlu, whereas nucleotides in the D-stem and D-loop, as well as the bases GluRS2 was specific solely for tRNAGln. The A. ferrooxidans GluRS2 connecting the acceptor helix and D-stem, and some bases in the Gln extra arm (13). In vitro mutagenesis of Thermus thermophilus preferentially charged tRNAUUG. Conversely, A. ferrooxidans GluRS1 glutamylated both tRNAGlu isoacceptors and the tRNAGln D-GluRS expanded its tRNA specificity to the recognition of CUG tRNAGlu with a glutamine-specific anticodon (14). However, this species. These three tRNA species have two structural elements in work did not afford real insight into a ND-GluRS, because the common, the augmented D-helix and a deletion of nucleotide 47. tRNA specificity was not changed. It appears that the discriminating or nondiscriminating natures of In addition to the lack of some synthetases (see above), whole different GluRS enzymes have been derived by the coevolution of genome analysis also revealed several organisms containing protein and tRNA structure. The coexistence of the two GluRS more than one AARS for certain amino acids. In many cases, the enzymes in one organism may lay the groundwork for the acqui- function of such a redundancy is unknown; however, in some sition of the canonical glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase by lateral gene organisms, the roles of the duplicated AARSs have been ex- transfer from eukaryotes. plained (15). A second aspartyl-tRNA synthetase in Deinococcus radiodurans, for instance, is shown to be involved in tRNA- aithful protein biosynthesis relies on the correct attachment dependent asparagine biosynthesis (7). In E. coli, two genes for Fof amino acids to their corresponding (cognate) tRNAs lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS) exist; one LysRS gene (lysS)is catalyzed by the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) (1). constitutively expressed, and the other one is heat-inducible Given the presence of 20 canonical amino acids, one would (lysU) (16, 17). Similarly, two paralogous gltX genes (encoding expect each organism to contain at least 20 AARSs to ensure GluRS) exist in some proteobacteria and a scattering of other high accuracy during aminoacylation of the complete set of bacterial groups (18); however, the function of this duplication tRNAs. However, this is true only for eukarya and some bacteria. is not clear. There are indications that the two GluRSs in Most of the other bacterial organisms (2, 3), all known archaea Helicobacter pylori preferentially glutamylate either tRNAGlu or Gln (4, 5), and eukaryotic organelles (6) lack the AARS specific for tRNA .** To investigate further the duplicated gltX genes, we glutamine. In addition, a canonical asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase chose the Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and H. pylori systems and is missing from many archaeal and bacterial genomes (7), examined the substrate preferences of the two GluRS enzymes whereas a canonical cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase is not distin- that coexist in these organisms. guishable in some methanogenic archaea (8). Materials and Methods In addition to direct acylation of the cognate tRNA by Oligonucleotides, DNA Sequencing, and Radiochemicals. AARSs, an indirect pathway was found to be responsible for the Oligonucle- otides were synthesized, and DNAs were sequenced by the Keck formation of both Gln-tRNAGln and Asn-tRNAAsn. In these Foundation Biotechnology Resource Laboratory at Yale Uni- cases, formation of the mischarged product (Glu-tRNAGln and versity. Uniformly labeled [14C]Glu (254 mCi͞mmol) and BIOCHEMISTRY Asp-tRNAAsn, respectively) is a required intermediate in the synthesis of the cognate amino acid–tRNA pairs. To accomplish Gln this, the indirect pathway to Gln-tRNA formation uses a Abbreviations: AARS, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase; ND, nondiscriminating; GluRS, glu- nondiscriminating (ND) form of glutamyl-tRNA synthetase tamyl-tRNA synthetase; GlnRS, glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase. (GluRS) that is able to efficiently glutamylate both tRNAGlu and †J.C.S. and I.A. contributed equally to this work. Gln tRNA (9). In the next step, a tRNA-dependent amidotrans- ʈTo whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]. Gln Gln ferase, Glu-tRNA amidotransferase, amidates Glu-tRNA **Hendrickson, T. L., Skouloubris, S., de Reuse, H. & Labigne, A. (2002) Abstr. Papers Am. to the correctly charged Gln-tRNAGln, which is then used as a Chem. Soc. 224, 121. substrate for protein synthesis (reviewed in ref. 10). © 2003 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA www.pnas.org͞cgi͞doi͞10.1073͞pnas.1936123100 PNAS ͉ November 25, 2003 ͉ vol. 100 ͉ no. 24 ͉ 13863–13868 Downloaded by guest on October 1, 2021 ligation into the pKK223-3 vector (Amersham Biosciences) and digested with EcoRI and HindIII enzymes, generating the plasmids pJSQUUG and pJSQCUG. These were transformed into E. coli DH5␣. Purification of unfractionated tRNA containing the spec- ified tRNA gene transcript was carried out as described (20). Comparison of aminoacylation reactions by using E. coli GlnRS and unfractionated tRNA obtained from the cells, transformed with pJSQUUG, pJSQCUG, or empty vector, showed that the A. Gln Gln ferrooxidans tRNAUUG and tRNACUG isoacceptors comprised be- tween 10% and 20% of the total tRNA. To obtain mature unfractionated tRNA from both organisms, H. pylori cells (strain 43526) were grown (21), and the unfraction- ated tRNA was prepared as described (20). A. ferrooxidans (strain 19859) was grown in a bioreactor in 9-K medium [0.4 g͞liter ͞ ͞ ͞ (NH4)2SO4,0.4g l MgSO4(7H2O), 0.056 g lK2HPO4(3H2O) 5g/l FeSO4(7H2O) adjusted to pH 1.6 with concentrated H2SO4, and sterilized by filtration. The ferrous ion was regenerated by 0.5 A of current]. Total tRNA extracted from 0.5 g of A. ferrooxidans cells was purified by the Qiagen RNA͞DNA kit as described by the manufacturer (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). Purification of tRNAGln and tRNAGlu by Affinity Chromatography. The Gln Gln A. ferrooxidans tRNAUUG and tRNACUG (see above) and E. coli tRNAGln and tRNAGlu were purified from unfractionated tRNA by affinity chromatography on immobilized T. thermophilus EF-Tu (22) with the following specifications. Unfractionated E. coli tRNA was aminoacylated with E. coli GlnRS or GluRS. The Gln-tRNAGln or Glu-tRNAGlu was separated from the un- Fig. 1. Cloverleaf representation of A. ferrooxidans tRNAGlu and tRNAGln charged tRNA by the formation of a ternary complex with the species. The bases that form part of the augmented D-helix (13), in both EF-Tu-GTP immobilized on a Ni-NTA-agarose column. After Glu Gln Gln Glu isoacceptors of tRNA and in tRNACUG, are shown in white letters and black the elution of Gln-tRNA or Glu-tRNA , the tRNA was shadow. deacylated for 15 min at 65°C in 0.1 mM borate-KOH, pH 9.0. The pure tRNAGln was not contaminated with tRNAGlu and vice 14 ͞ ␥ 32 ͞ versa, as judged by aminoacylation with pure E. coli GluRS or [ C]Gln (244 mCi mmol) and [ - P]ATP (6,000 Ci mmol) GlnRS, respectively. were from Amersham Pharmacia Biosciences. Aminoacylation Assays with GluRS1 and -RS2. In vitro acylations with Cloning of gltX Genes from H. pylori and A. ferrooxidans. The H. H. pylori and A. ferrooxidans GluRS enzymes was carried out at pylori genes (HP0476, gltX1; HP0643, gltX2) were obtained by 37°Cinan80-␮l reaction mixture containing 100 mM Hepes- PCR from the genomic DNA (strain 26695) by using the Expand KOH, pH 7.2; 30 mM KCl; 12 mM MgCl2; 5 mM ATP; 2 mM High Fidelity PCR System (Roche Molecular Biochemicals). DTT; 25 ␮M[14C]Glu plus 75 ␮M unlabeled glutamate and Oligonucleotide primers introduced an NdeI site at the 5Ј end ␮ ␮ Ј 40–60 g of unfractionated tRNA or 0.7–1.3 g of pure tRNA.
Recommended publications
  • Abstract Betaproteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria
    Abstract N-210 Contact Information The majority of the soil’s biosphere containins biodiveristy that remains yet to be discovered. The occurrence of novel bacterial phyla in soil, as well as the phylogenetic diversity within bacterial phyla with few cultured representatives (e.g. Acidobacteria, Anne Spain Dr. Mostafa S.Elshahed Verrucomicrobia, and Gemmatimonadetes) have been previously well documented. However, few studies have focused on the Composition, Diversity, and Novelty within Soil Proteobacteria Department of Botany and Microbiology Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics novel phylogenetic diversity within phyla containing numerous cultured representatives. Here, we present a detailed University of Oklahoma Oklahoma State University phylogenetic analysis of the Proteobacteria-affiliated clones identified in a 13,001 nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene clones 770 Van Vleet Oval 307 LSE derived from Oklahoma tall grass prairie soil. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in the community, and comprised Norman, OK 73019 Stillwater, OK 74078 25% of total clones. The most abundant and diverse class within the Proteobacteria was Alphaproteobacteria, which comprised 405 325 5255 405 744 6790 39% of Proteobacteria clones, followed by the Deltaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria, which made Anne M. Spain (1), Lee R. Krumholz (1), Mostafa S. Elshahed (2) up 37, 16, and 8% of Proteobacteria clones, respectively. Members of the Epsilonproteobacteria were not detected in the dataset. [email protected] [email protected] Detailed phylogenetic analysis indicated that 14% of the Proteobacteria clones belonged to 15 novel orders and 50% belonged (1) Dept. of Botany and Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK to orders with no described cultivated representatives or were unclassified.
    [Show full text]
  • Anaplasmosis: an Emerging Tick-Borne Disease of Importance in Canada
    IDCases 14 (2018) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect IDCases journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/idcr Case report Anaplasmosis: An emerging tick-borne disease of importance in Canada a, b,c d,e e,f Kelsey Uminski *, Kamran Kadkhoda , Brett L. Houston , Alison Lopez , g,h i c c Lauren J. MacKenzie , Robbin Lindsay , Andrew Walkty , John Embil , d,e Ryan Zarychanski a Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada b Cadham Provincial Laboratory, Government of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada c Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada d Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada e CancerCare Manitoba, Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Winnipeg, MB, Canada f Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Section of Infectious Diseases, Winnipeg, MB, Canada g Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada h Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada i Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory, Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, Winnipeg, MB, Canada A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Article history: Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis (HGA) is an infection caused by the intracellular bacterium Received 11 September 2018 Anaplasma phagocytophilum.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolutionary Origin of Insect–Wolbachia Nutritional Mutualism
    Evolutionary origin of insect–Wolbachia nutritional mutualism Naruo Nikoha,1, Takahiro Hosokawab,1, Minoru Moriyamab,1, Kenshiro Oshimac, Masahira Hattoric, and Takema Fukatsub,2 aDepartment of Liberal Arts, The Open University of Japan, Chiba 261-8586, Japan; bBioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan; and cCenter for Omics and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8561, Japan Edited by Nancy A. Moran, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, and approved June 3, 2014 (received for review May 20, 2014) Obligate insect–bacterium nutritional mutualism is among the insects, generally conferring negative fitness consequences to most sophisticated forms of symbiosis, wherein the host and the their hosts and often causing hosts’ reproductive aberrations to symbiont are integrated into a coherent biological entity and un- enhance their own transmission in a selfish manner (7, 8). Re- able to survive without the partnership. Originally, however, such cently, however, a Wolbachia strain associated with the bedbug obligate symbiotic bacteria must have been derived from free-living Cimex lectularius,designatedaswCle, was shown to be es- bacteria. How highly specialized obligate mutualisms have arisen sential for normal growth and reproduction of the blood- from less specialized associations is of interest. Here we address this sucking insect host via provisioning of B vitamins (9). Hence, it –Wolbachia evolutionary
    [Show full text]
  • Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis Are Tick-Borne Diseases Caused by Obligate Anaplasmosis: Intracellular Bacteria in the Genera Ehrlichia and Anaplasma
    Ehrlichiosis and Importance Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are tick-borne diseases caused by obligate Anaplasmosis: intracellular bacteria in the genera Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. These organisms are widespread in nature; the reservoir hosts include numerous wild animals, as well as Zoonotic Species some domesticated species. For many years, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species have been known to cause illness in pets and livestock. The consequences of exposure vary Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis, from asymptomatic infections to severe, potentially fatal illness. Some organisms Canine Hemorrhagic Fever, have also been recognized as human pathogens since the 1980s and 1990s. Tropical Canine Pancytopenia, Etiology Tracker Dog Disease, Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are caused by members of the genera Ehrlichia Canine Tick Typhus, and Anaplasma, respectively. Both genera contain small, pleomorphic, Gram negative, Nairobi Bleeding Disorder, obligate intracellular organisms, and belong to the family Anaplasmataceae, order Canine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, Rickettsiales. They are classified as α-proteobacteria. A number of Ehrlichia and Canine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, Anaplasma species affect animals. A limited number of these organisms have also Equine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, been identified in people. Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, Recent changes in taxonomy can make the nomenclature of the Anaplasmataceae Tick-borne Fever, and their diseases somewhat confusing. At one time, ehrlichiosis was a group of Pasture Fever, diseases caused by organisms that mostly replicated in membrane-bound cytoplasmic Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis, vacuoles of leukocytes, and belonged to the genus Ehrlichia, tribe Ehrlichieae and Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, family Rickettsiaceae. The names of the diseases were often based on the host Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, species, together with type of leukocyte most often infected.
    [Show full text]
  • Acidification Increases Abundances of Vibrionales And
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Sapientia Acidification increases abundances of Vibrionales and Planctomycetia associated to a seaweed-grazer system: potential consequences for disease and prey digestion efficiency Tania Aires1,*, Alexandra Serebryakova1,2,*, Frédérique Viard2,3, Ester A. Serrão1 and Aschwin H. Engelen1 1 Center for Marine Sciences (CCMAR), CIMAR, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal 2 Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Lab Adaptation and Diversity in Marine Environments (UMR 7144 CNRS SU), Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France 3 CNRS, UMR 7144, Divco Team, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France * These authors contributed equally to this work. ABSTRACT Ocean acidification significantly affects marine organisms in several ways, with complex interactions. Seaweeds might benefit from rising CO2 through increased photosynthesis and carbon acquisition, with subsequent higher growth rates. However, changes in seaweed chemistry due to increased CO2 may change the nutritional quality of tissue for grazers. In addition, organisms live in close association with a diverse microbiota, which can also be influenced by environmental changes, with feedback effects. As gut microbiomes are often linked to diet, changes in seaweed characteristics and associated microbiome can affect the gut microbiome of the grazer, with possible fitness consequences. In this study, we experimentally investigated the effects of acidification on the microbiome of the invasive brown seaweed Sargassum muticum and a native isopod consumer Synisoma nadejda. Both were exposed to ambient CO2 conditions Submitted 13 September 2017 (380 ppm, pH 8.16) and an acidification treatment (1,000 ppm, pH 7.86) for three Accepted 26 January 2018 weeks.
    [Show full text]
  • Ultrastructure and Localization of Neorickettsia in Adult Digenean
    Washington University School of Medicine Digital Commons@Becker Open Access Publications 2017 Ultrastructure and localization of Neorickettsia in adult digenean trematodes provides novel insights into helminth-endobacteria interaction Kerstin Fischer Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Vasyl V. Tkach University of North Dakota Kurt C. Curtis Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Peter U. Fischer Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/open_access_pubs Recommended Citation Fischer, Kerstin; Tkach, Vasyl V.; Curtis, Kurt C.; and Fischer, Peter U., ,"Ultrastructure and localization of Neorickettsia in adult digenean trematodes provides novel insights into helminth-endobacteria interaction." Parasites & Vectors.10,. 177. (2017). https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/open_access_pubs/5789 This Open Access Publication is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons@Becker. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Becker. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Fischer et al. Parasites & Vectors (2017) 10:177 DOI 10.1186/s13071-017-2123-7 RESEARCH Open Access Ultrastructure and localization of Neorickettsia in adult digenean trematodes provides novel insights into helminth- endobacteria interaction Kerstin Fischer1, Vasyl V. Tkach2, Kurt C. Curtis1 and Peter U. Fischer1* Abstract Background: Neorickettsia are a group of intracellular α proteobacteria transmitted by digeneans (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda). These endobacteria can also infect vertebrate hosts of the helminths and cause serious diseases in animals and humans. Neorickettsia have been isolated from infected animals and maintained in cell cultures, and their morphology in mammalian cells has been described.
    [Show full text]
  • Ehrlichiosis in Brazil
    Review Article Rev. Bras. Parasitol. Vet., Jaboticabal, v. 20, n. 1, p. 1-12, jan.-mar. 2011 ISSN 0103-846X (impresso) / ISSN 1984-2961 (eletrônico) Ehrlichiosis in Brazil Erliquiose no Brasil Rafael Felipe da Costa Vieira1; Alexander Welker Biondo2,3; Ana Marcia Sá Guimarães4; Andrea Pires dos Santos4; Rodrigo Pires dos Santos5; Leonardo Hermes Dutra1; Pedro Paulo Vissotto de Paiva Diniz6; Helio Autran de Morais7; Joanne Belle Messick4; Marcelo Bahia Labruna8; Odilon Vidotto1* 1Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Estadual de Londrina – UEL 2Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná – UFPR 3Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Illinois 4Department of Veterinary Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, Lafayette 5Seção de Doenças Infecciosas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – UFRGS 6College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences 7Department of Clinical Sciences, Oregon State University 8Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo – USP Received June 21, 2010 Accepted November 3, 2010 Abstract Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by rickettsial organisms belonging to the genus Ehrlichia. In Brazil, molecular and serological studies have evaluated the occurrence of Ehrlichia species in dogs, cats, wild animals and humans. Ehrlichia canis is the main species found in dogs in Brazil, although E. ewingii infection has been recently suspected in five dogs. Ehrlichia chaffeensis DNA has been detected and characterized in mash deer, whereas E. muris and E. ruminantium have not yet been identified in Brazil. Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by E. canis appears to be highly endemic in several regions of Brazil, however prevalence data are not available for several regions.
    [Show full text]
  • Successful Treatment of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis in Children Using Rifampin
    Successful Treatment of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis in Children Using Rifampin Peter J. Krause, MD*; Cathy L. Corrow, MD*; and Johan S. Bakken, MD‡ ABSTRACT. Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is the removal of a small brown tick attached behind her left ear 7 an emerging tick-borne infectious disease caused by days earlier. The physical examination was unremarkable other Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Clinical features include a than a temperature of 39.8°C. The hemogram showed a white ϫ 9 flu-like illness that usually resolves within 1 week. More blood cell count (WBC) of 10.9 10 /L with 61% segmented neutrophils, 24% band neutrophils, 10% lymphocytes, and 5% serious infection may occur that requires hospital admis- monocytes, and a platelet count of 238 ϫ 109/L. Microscopic sion or culminates in death. Doxycycline is the treatment examination of 800 leukocytes on a Wright-stained peripheral of choice for HGE but may cause permanent staining of blood smear failed to reveal diagnostic inclusions (morulae) in teeth in children younger than 8 years of age. We report neutrophils. The patient was thought to have a viral syndrome, successful treatment of HGE with rifampin in 2 children, and she was asked to return for follow-up examination in 48 4 and 6 years old. A course of rifampin for 5 to 7 days hours. Her fever exceeded 39°C and her other symptoms per- should be considered in children younger than 8 years of sisted. age who experience non–life-threatening A phagocyto- At a follow-up visit 2 days later on June 19, 1998, the total WBC ϫ 9 ϫ 9 philum infection.
    [Show full text]
  • ESCMID Online Lecture Library © by Author
    The order Rickettsiales Pathogenesis of “ehrlichia” (Anaplasmataceae) infections of humans •Family Rickettsiaceae • Genera Rickettsia, Orientia •Family Anaplasmatacea • Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, others J. Stephen Dumler, M.D. •obligate intracellular bacteria • -proteobacteria phylogeny by small Departments of Pathology and Microbiology & Immunology subunit RNA genes (rrs) University of Maryland School of Medicine • contain DNA, RNA, ribosomes And Departments of Pathology and Molecular Microbiology & Immunology • divide by binary fission The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions • Gram-negative cell wall Baltimore, MD USA •life cycle within arthropod host [email protected] •Bartonella (and former Rochalimaea) and Coxiella not in Rickettsiales Phylogeny of Rickettsiales (rrs) Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species infections α-proteobacteria E chaffeensis E ewingii pathogenesis A phagocytophilum E muris R prowazekii R australis • attachment R typhi R akari R felis R honei • endosomal entry R rickettsii Neoehrlichia mikurensis R conorii R parkeri W pipientis R africae R sibirica • avoidance of immediate intracellular killing (signaling) – phagolysosome fusion inhibition - doxycycline sensitive O tsutsugamushi Anaplasmataceae – subversion of autophagy Rickettsiaceae – detoxification of oxidative killing mechanisms • regulation and perturbation of host cell functions N sennetsu (gene expression) – downregulation of innate or early immune responses B quintana – cell cycle perturbations / apoptosis B henselae E coli – inhibition of intracellular trafficking
    [Show full text]
  • Across Bacterial Phyla, Distantly-Related Genomes with Similar Genomic GC Content Have Similar Patterns of Amino Acid Usage
    University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Faculty Publications Biological Sciences, Department of 3-10-2011 Across Bacterial Phyla, Distantly-Related Genomes with Similar Genomic GC Content Have Similar Patterns of Amino Acid Usage John Lightfield Noah R. Fram Bert Ely University of South Carolina - Columbia, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/biol_facpub Part of the Biology Commons Publication Info Published in PLoS ONE, Volume 6, Issue 3, 2011, pages e17677-. © 2011 Lightfield et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. This Article is brought to you by the Biological Sciences, Department of at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Across Bacterial Phyla, Distantly-Related Genomes with Similar Genomic GC Content Have Similar Patterns of Amino Acid Usage John Lightfield¤a, Noah R. Fram¤b, Bert Ely* Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America Abstract The GC content of bacterial genomes ranges from 16% to 75% and wide ranges of genomic GC content are observed within many bacterial phyla, including both Gram negative and Gram positive phyla. Thus, divergent genomic GC content has evolved repeatedly in widely separated bacterial taxa. Since genomic GC content influences codon usage, we examined codon usage patterns and predicted protein amino acid content as a function of genomic GC content within eight different phyla or classes of bacteria.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis Current Status
    IgeneX_v1_A4_A4_2011 27/04/2012 17:26 Page 49 Tick-borne Infectious Disease Human Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis – Current Status Jyotsna S Shah,1 Richard Horowitz2 and Nick S Harris3 1. Vice President, IGeneX Inc., California; 2. Medical Director, Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center, New York; 3. CEO and President, IGeneX Inc., California, US Abstract Lyme disease (LD), caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi complex, is the most frequently reported arthropod-borne infection in North America and Europe. The ticks that transmit LD also carry other pathogens. The two most common co-infections in patients with LD are babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. Human babesiosis is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia including Babesia microti, Babesia duncani, Babesia divergens, Babesia divergens-like (also known as Babesia MOI), Babesia EU1 and Babesia KO1. Ehrlichiosis includes human sennetsu ehrlichiosis (HSE), human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), human ewingii ehrlichiosis (HEE) and the recently discovered human ehrlichiosis Wisconsin–Minnesota (HWME). The resulting illnesses vary from asymptomatic to severe, leading to significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Clinical signs and symptoms are often non-specific and require the medical provider to have a high degree of suspicion of these infections in order to be recognised. In this article, the causative agents, geographical distribution, clinical findings, diagnosis and treatment protocols are discussed for both babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. Keywords Babesia, Ehrlichia, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, human, Borrelia Disclosure: Jyotsna Shah and Nick Harris are employees of IGeneX. Richard Horowitz is an employee of Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center. Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Eddie Caoili, and Sohini Stone, for providing technical assistance.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecotyping of Anaplasma Phagocytophilum from Wild Ungulates and Ticks Shows Circulation of Zoonotic Strains in Northeastern Italy
    animals Article Ecotyping of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from Wild Ungulates and Ticks Shows Circulation of Zoonotic Strains in Northeastern Italy Laura Grassi, Giovanni Franzo , Marco Martini , Alessandra Mondin, Rudi Cassini , Michele Drigo , Daniela Pasotto , Elena Vidorin and Maria Luisa Menandro * Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health (MAPS), University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy; [email protected] (L.G.); [email protected] (G.F.); [email protected] (M.M.); [email protected] (A.M.); [email protected] (R.C.); [email protected] (M.D.); [email protected] (D.P.); [email protected] (E.V.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Simple Summary: Tick-borne infectious diseases represent a rising threat both for human and animal health, since they are emerging worldwide. Among the bacterial infections, Anaplasma phagocytophilum has been largely neglected in Europe. Despite its diffusion in ticks and animals, the ecoepidemiology of its genetic variants is not well understood. The latest studies identify four ecotypes of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Europe, and only ecotype I has shown zoonotic potential. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in wild ungulates, the leading reservoir species, and in feeding ticks, the main vector of infection. The Citation: Grassi, L.; Franzo, G.; analyzed samples were collected in northeastern Italy, the same area where the first Italian human Martini, M.; Mondin, A.; Cassini, R.; cases of anaplasmosis in the country were reported. Using biomolecular tools and phylogenetic Drigo, M.; Pasotto, D.; Vidorin, E.; analysis, ecotypes I and II were detected in both ticks (Ixodes ricinus species) and wild ungulates.
    [Show full text]