bis(3--5-)-cyclic-diguanylic-acid and Pseudomonas-Infections

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common pathogen that colonizes the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. Isolates from sputum are typically all derived from the same strain of bacterium but show extensive phenotypic heterogeneity. One of these variants is the so-called small colony variant, which also shows increased ability to form a biofilm and is frequently resistant to multiple antibiotics. The presence of small colony variants in the sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis is associated with a worse clinical condition. The underlying mechanism responsible for generation of the small colony phenotype remains unclear, but a final common pathway would appear to be elevation of intracellular levels of cyclic di-GMP. This phenotypic variant is thus not just a laboratory curiosity, but a significant bacterial adaptation that favors survival within the lung of patients with cystic fibrosis and contributes to the pulmonary damage caused by P. aeruginosa.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biofilms; Chronic Disease; Cyclic GMP; Cystic Fibrosis; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; Lung; Phenotype; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

A subpopulation of small-colony variants (SCVs) is a frequently observed feature of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates obtained from colonized cystic fibrosis lungs. Since most SCVs have until now been isolated from clinical samples, it remains unclear how widespread the ability of P. aeruginosa strains to develop this phenotype is and what the genetic mechanism(s) behind the emergence of SCVs are according to the origin of the isolate. In the present work, we investigated the ability of 22 P. aeruginosa isolates from various environmental origins to spontaneously adopt an SCV-like smaller alternative morphotype distinguishable from that of the ancestral parent strain under laboratory culture conditions. We found that all the P. aeruginosa strains tested could adopt an SCV phenotype, regardless of their origin. Whole-genome sequencing of SCVs obtained from clinical and environmental sources revealed single mutations exclusively in two distinct c-di-GMP signaling pathways, the Wsp and YfiBNR pathways. We conclude that the ability to switch to an SCV phenotype is a conserved feature of P. aeruginosa and results from the acquisition of a stable genetic mutation, regardless of the origin of the strain.

Topics: Cyclic GMP; Cystic Fibrosis; Humans; Mutation; Phenotype; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

ExlA is a highly virulent pore-forming toxin that has been recently discovered in outlier strains from

Topics: Animals; Bacterial Proteins; Bacterial Toxins; Cell Membrane; Cyclic GMP; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Mice; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

Cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is a broadly conserved intracellular second messenger that influences different bacterial processes, including virulence, stress tolerance or social behaviours and biofilm development. Although in most cases the environmental cue that initiates the signal transduction cascade leading to changes in cellular c-di-GMP levels remains unknown, certain L- and D-amino acids have been described to modulate c-di-GMP turnover in some bacteria. In this work, we have analysed the influence of L-amino acids on c-di-GMP levels in the plant-beneficial bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440, identifying L-arginine as the main one causing a significant increase in c-di-GMP. Both exogenous (environmental) and endogenous (biosynthetic) L-arginine influence biofilm formation by P. putida through changes in c-di-GMP content and altered expression of structural elements of the biofilm extracellular matrix. The contribution of periplasmic binding proteins forming part of amino acid transport systems to the response to environmental L-arginine was also studied. Contrary to what has been described in other bacteria, in P. putida these proteins seem not to be directly responsible for signal transduction. Rather, their contribution to global L-arginine pools appears to determine changes in c-di-GMP turnover. We propose that arginine plays a connecting role between cellular metabolism and c-di-GMP signalling in P. putida.

Topics: Arginine; Bacterial Proteins; Biofilms; Cyclic GMP; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Pseudomonas Infections; Pseudomonas putida

Cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is an important second messenger involved in bacterial switching from motile to sessile lifestyles. In the opportunistic pathogen

Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Biofilms; Cyclic GMP; Escherichia coli Proteins; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Genome, Bacterial; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; Phylogeny; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Transcriptome; Virulence

The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa effectively colonizes host epithelia using pili as primary adhesins. Here we uncover a surface-specific asymmetric virulence program that enhances P. aeruginosa host colonization. We show that when P. aeruginosa encounters surfaces, the concentration of the second messenger c-di-GMP increases within a few seconds. This leads to surface adherence and virulence induction by stimulating pili assembly through activation of the c-di-GMP receptor FimW. Surface-attached bacteria divide asymmetrically to generate a piliated, surface-committed progeny (striker) and a flagellated, motile offspring that leaves the surface to colonize distant sites (spreader). Cell differentiation is driven by a phosphodiesterase that asymmetrically positions to the flagellated pole, thereby maintaining c-di-GMP levels low in the motile offspring. Infection experiments demonstrate that cellular asymmetry strongly boosts infection spread and tissue damage. Thus, P. aeruginosa promotes surface colonization and infection transmission through a cooperative virulence program that we termed Touch-Seed-and-Go.

Topics: A549 Cells; Adhesins, Bacterial; Apoptosis; Bacterial Proteins; Biofilms; Carrier Proteins; Cell Differentiation; Cyclic GMP; DNA-Binding Proteins; Fimbriae, Bacterial; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Homologous Recombination; Humans; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Virulence

Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Chemotaxis; Crystallography, X-Ray; Cyclic GMP; Flagella; Humans; Models, Molecular; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

The virulence factor pyocyanin and the intracellular second messenger cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (c-di-GMP) play key roles in regulating biofilm formation and multi-drug efflux pump expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, the crosstalk between these two signaling pathways remains unclear. Here we show that BrlR (PA4878), previously identified as a c-di-GMP responsive transcriptional regulator, acts also as a receptor for pyocyanin. Crystal structures of free BrlR and c-di-GMP-bound BrlR reveal that the DNA-binding domain of BrlR contains two separate c-di-GMP binding sites, both of which are involved in promoting brlR expression. In addition, we identify a pyocyanin-binding site on the C-terminal multidrug-binding domain based on the structure of the BrlR-C domain in complex with a pyocyanin analog. Biochemical analysis indicates that pyocyanin enhances BrlR-DNA binding and brlR expression in a concentration-dependent manner.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Proteins; Binding Sites; Biofilms; Crystallography, X-Ray; Cyclic GMP; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Docking Simulation; Protein Domains; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Pyocyanine; Recombinant Proteins; Transcription Factors; Virulence Factors

Nutrients such as amino acids play key roles in shaping the metabolism of microorganisms in natural environments and in host-pathogen interactions. Beyond taking part to cellular metabolism and to protein synthesis, amino acids are also signaling molecules able to influence group behavior in microorganisms, such as biofilm formation. This lifestyle switch involves complex metabolic reprogramming controlled by local variation of the second messenger 3', 5'-cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP). The intracellular levels of this dinucleotide are finely tuned by the opposite activity of dedicated diguanylate cyclases (GGDEF signature) and phosphodiesterases (EAL and HD-GYP signatures), which are usually allosterically controlled by a plethora of environmental and metabolic clues. Among the genes putatively involved in controlling c-di-GMP levels in P. aeruginosa, we found that the multidomain transmembrane protein PA0575, bearing the tandem signature GGDEF-EAL, is an l-arginine sensor able to hydrolyse c-di-GMP. Here, we investigate the basis of arginine recognition by integrating bioinformatics, molecular biophysics and microbiology. Although the role of nutrients such as l-arginine in controlling the cellular fate in P. aeruginosa (including biofilm, pathogenicity and virulence) is already well established, we identified the first l-arginine sensor able to link environment sensing, c-di-GMP signaling and biofilm formation in this bacterium.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Arginine; Bacterial Proteins; Cyclic GMP; Escherichia coli Proteins; Humans; Hydrolysis; Models, Molecular; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; Protein Binding; Protein Domains; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Sequence Alignment

Macrolides have been reported to exert a variety of effects on both host immunomodulation and repression of bacterial pathogenicity. In this study, we report that the 3',5'-cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP) signaling system, which regulates virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is affected by the macrolide azithromycin. Using DNA microarray analysis, we selected a gene encoding PA2567 related to c-di-GMP metabolism that was significantly affected by azithromycin treatment. Expression of the PA2567 gene was significantly repressed by azithromycin in a time- and dose-dependent manner, whereas no difference in PA2567 gene expression was observed in the absence of azithromycin. In-frame deletion of the PA2567 gene affected both virulence factors and the quorum-sensing system, and significantly decreased total bacteria in a mouse pneumonia model compared to the wild-type strain (P < 0.05). These results suggest that macrolides possess the ability to modulate c-di-GMP intracellular signaling in P. aeruginosa.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Azithromycin; Bacterial Proteins; Colony Count, Microbial; Cyclic GMP; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Pneumonia, Bacterial; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Signal Transduction; Virulence Factors

The bacterial second messenger cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (c-di-GMP) mediates multiple aspects of bacterial physiology through binding to various effectors. In some cases, these effectors are single-domain proteins which only contain a PilZ domain. It remains largely unknown how single-domain PilZ proteins function and regulate their downstream targets. Recently, a single-domain PilZ protein, MapZ (PA4608), was identified to inhibit the activity of the methyltransferase CheR1. Here, crystal structures of the C-terminal domain of CheR1 containing SAH and of CheR1 in complex with c-di-GMP-bound MapZ are reported. It was observed that the binding site of MapZ in CheR1 partially overlaps with the SAH/SAM-binding pocket. Consequently, binding of MapZ blocks SAH/SAM binding. This provides direct structural evidence on the mechanism of inhibition of CheR1 by MapZ in the presence of c-di-GMP.

Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Chemotaxis; Crystallography, X-Ray; Cyclic GMP; Humans; Methyltransferases; Models, Molecular; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; Protein Domains; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

Recent research has shown that the molecule c-di-GMP is an important second messenger regulating various functions in bacteria. In particular, the implication of c-di-GMP as a positive regulator of adhesion and biofilm formation has gained momentum as a highly relevant research topic, as detailed knowledge about the underlying regulatory mechanisms may enable the development of measures to control biofilms in both industrial and medical settings. Accordingly, it is in many cases of interest to measure the c-di-GMP level in bacteria under specific conditions or in specific mutant strains. We have developed a collection of fluorescence-based c-di-GMP biosensors capable of gauging the c-di-GMP level in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and closely related bacteria. Here, we describe protocols for the use of these biosensors in gauging and visualizing cellular c-di-GMP levels of P. aeruginosa both in in vitro setups such as continuous-culture flow-cell biofilms, and in in vivo settings such as a murine corneal infection model.

Topics: Animals; Biofilms; Biosensing Techniques; Cyclic GMP; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Fluorescence; Keratitis; Mice; Molecular Imaging; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen associated with acute and chronic infections. The universal cyclic-di-GMP second messenger is instrumental in the switch from a motile lifestyle to resilient biofilm as in the cystic fibrosis lung. The SadC diguanylate cyclase is associated with this patho-adaptive transition. Here, we identify an unrecognized SadC partner, WarA, which we show is a methyltransferase in complex with a putative kinase, WarB. We established that WarA binds to cyclic-di-GMP, which potentiates its methyltransferase activity. Together, WarA and WarB have structural similarities with the bifunctional Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen regulator WbdD. Strikingly, WarA influences P. aeruginosa O antigen modal distribution and interacts with the LPS biogenesis machinery. LPS is known to modulate the immune response in the host, and by using a zebrafish infection model, we implicate WarA in the ability of P. aeruginosa to evade detection by the host.

Topics: Animals; Cyclic GMP; Disease Models, Animal; Immune Evasion; Lipopolysaccharides; Methyltransferases; Protein Binding; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Zebrafish

Bis-(3'-5') cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) controls the lifestyle transition between the sessile and motile states in many Gram-negative bacteria, including the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Under laboratory conditions, high concentrations of c-di-GMP decrease motility and promote biofilm formation, while low concentrations of c-di-GMP promote motility and decease biofilm formation. Here we sought to determine the contribution of c-di-GMP signaling to biofilm formation during P. aeruginosa-mediated catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). Using a murine CAUTI model, a decrease in CFU was detected in the bladders and kidneys of mice infected with strains overexpressing the phosphodiesterases (PDEs) encoded by PA3947 and PA2133 compared to those infected with wild-type P. aeruginosa. Conversely, overexpression of the diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) encoded by PA3702 and PA1107 increased the number of bacteria in bladder and significantly increased dissemination of bacteria to the kidneys compared to wild-type infection. To determine which of the DGCs and PDEs contribute to c-di-GMP signaling during infection, a panel of PA14 in-frame deletion mutants lacking DGCs and PDEs were tested in the CAUTI model. Results from these infections revealed five mutants, three containing GGDEF domains (ΔPA14_26970, ΔPA14_72420, and ΔsiaD) and two containing dual GGDEF-EAL domains (ΔmorA and ΔPA14_07500), with decreased colonization of the bladder and dissemination to the kidneys. These results indicate that c-di-GMP signaling influences P. aeruginosa-mediated biofilms during CAUTI.. Biofilm-based infections are an important cause of nosocomial infections, since they resist the immune response and traditional antibiotic treatment. Cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a second messenger that promotes biofilm formation in many Gram-negative pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here we determined the contribution of c-di-GMP signaling to catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), an animal model of biofilm-based infection. P. aeruginosa with elevated levels of c-di-GMP during the initial infection produces an increased bacterial burden in the bladder and kidneys. Conversely, low concentrations of c-di-GMP decreased the bacterial burden in the bladder and kidneys. We screened a library of mutants with mutations in genes regulating c-di-GMP signaling and found several mutants that altered colonization of the urinary tract. This study implicates c-di-GMP signaling during CAUTI.

Topics: Animals; Catheter-Related Infections; Cyclic GMP; Female; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Humans; Mice; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Signal Transduction

Post-transcriptional control of protein abundance is a highly important, underexplored regulatory process by which organisms respond to their environments. Here we describe an important and previously unidentified regulatory pathway involving the ribosomal modification protein RimK, its regulator proteins RimA and RimB, and the widespread bacterial second messenger cyclic-di-GMP (cdG). Disruption of rimK affects motility and surface attachment in pathogenic and commensal Pseudomonas species, with rimK deletion significantly compromising rhizosphere colonisation by the commensal soil bacterium P. fluorescens, and plant infection by the pathogens P. syringae and P. aeruginosa. RimK functions as an ATP-dependent glutamyl ligase, adding glutamate residues to the C-terminus of ribosomal protein RpsF and inducing specific effects on both ribosome protein complement and function. Deletion of rimK in P. fluorescens leads to markedly reduced levels of multiple ribosomal proteins, and also of the key translational regulator Hfq. In turn, reduced Hfq levels induce specific downstream proteomic changes, with significant increases in multiple ABC transporters, stress response proteins and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases seen for both ΔrimK and Δhfq mutants. The activity of RimK is itself controlled by interactions with RimA, RimB and cdG. We propose that control of RimK activity represents a novel regulatory mechanism that dynamically influences interactions between bacteria and their hosts; translating environmental pressures into dynamic ribosomal changes, and consequently to an adaptive remodeling of the bacterial proteome.

Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Bacterial Proteins; Cyclic GMP; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Humans; Models, Biological; Movement; Mutation; Plant Roots; Protein Binding; Proteome; Pseudomonas; Pseudomonas Infections; Regulon; Rhizosphere; Ribosomes; Second Messenger Systems; Triticum; Up-Regulation; Virulence

The second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) controls the transition between different lifestyles in bacterial pathogens. Here, we report the identification of DgcP (diguanylate cyclase conserved in Pseudomonads), whose activity in the olive tree pathogen Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi is dependent on the integrity of its GGDEF domain. Furthermore, deletion of the dgcP gene revealed that DgcP negatively regulates motility and positively controls biofilm formation in both the olive tree pathogen P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi and the human opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overexpression of the dgcP gene in P. aeruginosa PAK led to increased exopolysaccharide production and upregulation of the type VI secretion system; in turn, it repressed the type III secretion system, which is a hallmark of chronic infections and persistence for P. aeruginosa. Deletion of the dgcP gene in P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi NCPPB 3335 and P. aeruginosa PAK reduced their virulence in olive plants and in a mouse acute lung injury model respectively. Our results show that diguanylate cyclase DgcP is a conserved Pseudomonas protein with a role in virulence, and confirm the existence of common c-di-GMP signalling pathways that are capable of regulating plant and human Pseudomonas spp. infections.

Topics: Acute Lung Injury; Animals; Biofilms; Cyclic GMP; Disease Models, Animal; Escherichia coli Proteins; Humans; Mice; Olea; Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; Plant Diseases; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Sequence Deletion; Signal Transduction; Type III Secretion Systems; Type VI Secretion Systems; Virulence

The rise of bacterial resistance to traditional antibiotics has motivated recent efforts to identify new drug candidates that target virulence factors or their regulatory pathways. One such antivirulence target is the cyclic-di-GMP (cdiGMP) signaling pathway, which regulates biofilm formation, motility, and pathogenesis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen that utilizes cdiGMP-regulated polysaccharides, including alginate and pellicle polysaccharide (PEL), to mediate virulence and antibiotic resistance. CdiGMP activates PEL and alginate biosynthesis by binding to specific receptors including PelD and Alg44. Mutations that abrogate cdiGMP binding to these receptors prevent polysaccharide production. Identification of small molecules that can inhibit cdiGMP binding to the allosteric sites on these proteins could mimic binding defective mutants and potentially reduce biofilm formation or alginate secretion. Here, we report the development of a rapid and quantitative high-throughput screen for inhibitors of protein-cdiGMP interactions based on the differential radial capillary action of ligand assay (DRaCALA). Using this approach, we identified ebselen as an inhibitor of cdiGMP binding to receptors containing an RxxD domain including PelD and diguanylate cyclases (DGC). Ebselen reduces diguanylate cyclase activity by covalently modifying cysteine residues. Ebselen oxide, the selenone analogue of ebselen, also inhibits cdiGMP binding through the same covalent mechanism. Ebselen and ebselen oxide inhibit cdiGMP regulation of biofilm formation and flagella-mediated motility in P. aeruginosa through inhibition of diguanylate cyclases. The identification of ebselen provides a proof-of-principle that a DRaCALA high-throughput screening approach can be used to identify bioactive agents that reverse regulation of cdiGMP signaling by targeting cdiGMP-binding domains.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Azoles; Biofilms; Capillary Action; Cyclic GMP; Escherichia coli Proteins; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Isoindoles; Ligands; Models, Molecular; Organoselenium Compounds; Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria can engage in biofilm-based infections that evade immune responses and develop into chronic conditions. Because conventional antimicrobials cannot efficiently eradicate biofilms, there is an urgent need to develop alternative measures to combat biofilm infections. It has recently been established that the secondary messenger cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) functions as a positive regulator of biofilm formation in several different bacteria. In the present study we investigated whether manipulation of the c-di-GMP level in bacteria potentially can be used for biofilm control in vivo. We constructed a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain in which a reduction in the c-di-GMP level can be achieved via induction of the Escherichia coli YhjH c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase. Initial experiments showed that induction of yhjH expression led to dispersal of the majority of the bacteria in in vitro-grown P. aeruginosa biofilms. Subsequently, we demonstrated that P. aeruginosa biofilms growing on silicone implants, located in the peritoneal cavity of mice, dispersed after induction of the YhjH protein. Bacteria accumulated temporarily in the spleen after induction of biofilm dispersal, but the mice tolerated the dispersed bacteria well. The present work provides proof of the concept that modulation of the c-di-GMP level in bacteria is a viable strategy for biofilm control.

Topics: 3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases; Animals; Biofilms; Cyclic GMP; Disease Models, Animal; Escherichia coli Proteins; Female; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

Biofilms contribute to Pseudomonas aeruginosa persistence in a variety of diseases, including cystic fibrosis, burn wounds, and chronic suppurative otitis media. However, few studies have directly addressed P. aeruginosa biofilms in vivo. We used a chinchilla model of otitis media, which has previously been used to study persistent Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae infections, to show that structures formed in vivo are biofilms of bacterial and host origin within a matrix that includes Psl, a P. aeruginosa biofilm polysaccharide. We evaluated three biofilm and/or virulence mediators of P. aeruginosa known to affect biofilm formation in vitro and pathogenesis in vivo--bis-(3',5')-cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP), flagella, and quorum sensing--in a chinchilla model. We show that c-di-GMP overproduction has a positive impact on bacterial persistence, while quorum sensing increases virulence. We found no difference in persistence attributed to flagella. We conclude from these studies that a chinchilla otitis media model provides a means to evaluate pathogenic mediators of P. aeruginosa and that in vitro phenotypes should be examined in multiple infection systems to fully understand their role in disease.

Topics: Animals; Biofilms; Chinchilla; Chronic Disease; Cyclic GMP; Disease Models, Animal; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Humans; Otitis Media; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Quorum Sensing; Rodent Diseases; Virulence

During long-term cystic fibrosis lung infections, Pseudomonas aeruginosa undergoes genetic adaptation resulting in progressively increased persistence and the generation of adaptive colony morphotypes. This includes small colony variants (SCVs), auto-aggregative, hyper-adherent cells whose appearance correlates with poor lung function and persistence of infection. The SCV morphotype is strongly linked to elevated levels of cyclic-di-GMP, a ubiquitous bacterial second messenger that regulates the transition between motile and sessile, cooperative lifestyles. A genetic screen in PA01 for SCV-related loci identified the yfiBNR operon, encoding a tripartite signaling module that regulates c-di-GMP levels in P. aeruginosa. Subsequent analysis determined that YfiN is a membrane-integral diguanylate cyclase whose activity is tightly controlled by YfiR, a small periplasmic protein, and the OmpA/Pal-like outer-membrane lipoprotein YfiB. Exopolysaccharide synthesis was identified as the principal downstream target for YfiBNR, with increased production of Pel and Psl exopolysaccharides responsible for many characteristic SCV behaviors. An yfi-dependent SCV was isolated from the sputum of a CF patient. Consequently, the effect of the SCV morphology on persistence of infection was analyzed in vitro and in vivo using the YfiN-mediated SCV as a representative strain. The SCV strain exhibited strong, exopolysaccharide-dependent resistance to nematode scavenging and macrophage phagocytosis. Furthermore, the SCV strain effectively persisted over many weeks in mouse infection models, despite exhibiting a marked fitness disadvantage in vitro. Exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics significantly decreased both the number of suppressors arising, and the relative fitness disadvantage of the SCV mutant in vitro, suggesting that the SCV persistence phenotype may play a more important role during antimicrobial chemotherapy. This study establishes YfiBNR as an important player in P. aeruginosa persistence, and implicates a central role for c-di-GMP, and by extension the SCV phenotype in chronic infections.

Topics: Animals; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; Caenorhabditis elegans; Cells, Cultured; Cyclic GMP; DNA Transposable Elements; Escherichia coli Proteins; Macrophages; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mutagenesis; Operon; Periplasmic Proteins; Phagocytosis; Phenotype; Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; Pneumonia, Bacterial; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Second Messenger Systems

HD-GYP is a protein domain involved in the hydrolysis of the bacterial second messenger cyclic-di-GMP. The genome of the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 encodes two proteins (PA4108, PA4781) with an HD-GYP domain and a third protein, PA2572, which contains a domain with variant key residues (YN-GYP). Here we have investigated the role of these proteins in biofilm formation, virulence factor synthesis and virulence of P. aeruginosa. Mutation of PA4108 and PA4781 led to an increase in the level of cyclic-di-GMP in P. aeruginosa, consistent with the predicted activity of the encoded proteins as cyclic-di-GMP phosphodiesterases. Mutation of both genes led to reduced swarming motility but had differing effects on production of the virulence factors pyocyanin, pyoverdin and ExoS. Mutation of PA2572 had no effect on cyclic-di-GMP levels and did not influence swarming motility. However, PA2572 had a negative influence on swarming that was cryptic and was revealed only after removal of an uncharacterized C-terminal domain. Mutation of PA4108, PA4781 and PA2572 had distinct effects on biofilm formation and architecture of P. aeruginosa. All three proteins contributed to virulence of P. aeruginosa to larvae of the Greater Wax moth Galleria mellonella.

Topics: 3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases; ADP Ribose Transferases; Animals; Bacterial Proteins; Bacterial Toxins; Biofilms; Cyclic GMP; Cytoplasm; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Gene Knockout Techniques; Genes, Bacterial; Larva; Lepidoptera; Locomotion; Oligopeptides; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Pyocyanine; Survival Analysis; Virulence; Virulence Factors

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is recognized for its ability to colonize diverse habitats, ranging from soil to immunocompromised people. The formation of surface-associated communities called biofilms is one factor thought to enhance colonization and persistence in these diverse environments. Another factor is the ability of P. aeruginosa to diversify genetically, generating phenotypically distinct subpopulations. One manifestation of diversification is the appearance of colony morphology variants on solid medium. Both laboratory biofilm growth and chronic cystic fibrosis (CF) airway infections produce rugose small-colony variants (RSCVs) characterized by wrinkled, small colonies and an elevated capacity to form biofilms. Previous reports vary on the characteristics attributable to RSCVs. Here we report a detailed comparison of clonally related wild-type and RSCV strains isolated from both CF sputum and laboratory biofilm cultures. The clinical RSCV had many characteristics in common with biofilm RSCVs. Transcriptional profiling and Biolog phenotypic analysis revealed that RSCVs display increased expression of the pel and psl polysaccharide gene clusters, decreased expression of motility functions, and a defect in growth on some amino acid and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates as sole carbon sources. RSCVs also elicited a reduced chemokine response from polarized airway epithelium cells compared to wild-type strains. A common feature of all RSCVs analyzed in this study is increased levels of the intracellular signaling molecule cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP). To assess the global transcriptional effects of elevated c-di-GMP levels, we engineered an RSCV strain that had elevated c-di-GMP levels but did not autoaggregate. Our results showed that about 50 genes are differentially expressed in response to elevated intracellular c-di-GMP levels. Among these genes are the pel and psl genes, which are upregulated, and flagellum and pilus genes, which are downregulated. RSCV traits such as increased exopolysaccharide production leading to antibiotic tolerance, altered metabolism, and reduced immunogenicity may contribute to increased persistence in biofilms and in the airways of CF lungs.

Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Cell Line, Tumor; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Cyclic GMP; Cystic Fibrosis; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genetic Complementation Test; Humans; Lung; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen that produces and secretes exopolysaccharides (EPS), in which cells are embedded to form a highly organized community structure called biofilm. Here, we characterized the role of cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) and EPS (PEL) overproduction in the wspF mutant phenotypes of P. aeruginosa PA14 (wrinkly appearance, hyperadherence, impaired motilities, and reduced virulence in acute infections). We confirmed that the elevated c-di-GMP level plays a key role in all the wspF mutant phenotypes listed above, as assessed by ectopic expression of a c-di-GMP-degrading phophodiesterase (PvrR) in the wspF mutant. In contrast, PEL EPS, which is overproduced in the wspF mutant, was necessary for wrinkly appearance and hyperadherence, but not for the impaired flagellar motilities and the attenuated virulence of the wspF mutant. These results suggest that cdi- GMP affects flagellar motility and virulence, independently of EPS production and surface adherence of this bacterium.

Topics: Animals; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacterial Proteins; Cyclic GMP; Esterases; Humans; Mice; Mutation; Phenotype; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Virulence

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for systemic infections in immunocompromised individuals and chronic respiratory disease in patients with cystic fibrosis. Cyclic nucleotides are known to play a variety of roles in the regulation of virulence-related factors in pathogenic bacteria. A set of P. aeruginosa genes, encoding proteins that contain putative domains characteristic of diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and phosphodiesterases (PDEs) that are responsible for the maintenance of cellular levels of the second messenger bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) was identified in the annotated genomes of P. aeruginosa strains PAO1 and PA14. Although the majority of these genes are components of the P. aeruginosa core genome, several are located on presumptive horizontally acquired genomic islands. A comprehensive analysis of P. aeruginosa genes encoding the enzymes of c-di-GMP metabolism (DGC- and PDE-encoding genes) was carried out to analyze the function of c-di-GMP in two disease-related phenomena, cytotoxicity and biofilm formation. Analysis of the phenotypes of DGC and PDE mutants and overexpressing clones revealed that certain virulence-associated traits are controlled by multiple DGCs and PDEs through alterations in c-di-GMP levels. A set of mutants in selected DGC- and PDE-encoding genes exhibited attenuated virulence in a mouse infection model. Given that insertions in different DGC and PDE genes result in distinct phenotypes, it seems likely that the formation or degradation of c-di-GMP by these enzymes is in highly localized and intimately linked to particular targets of c-di-GMP action.

Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Biofilms; Cyclic GMP; Escherichia coli Proteins; Genes, Bacterial; Genome, Bacterial; Genomics; Mutation; Phenotype; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Virulence