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Fulltext Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method for differentiation of uropathogenic specific protein gene types

Lai YM, Zaw MT, Shamsudin SB, Lin Z

J Microbiol Immunol Infect, 2016 Aug;49(4):591-4.
PMID: 26212311 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2015.06.002

The putative pathogenicity island (PAI) containing the uropathogenic specific protein (usp) gene and three small open reading frames (orfU1, orfU2, and orfU3) encoding 98, 97, and 96 amino acid proteins is widely distributed among uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains. This PAI was designated as PAIusp. Sequencing analysis of PAIusp has revealed that the usp gene can be divided into two types - uspI and uspII - based on sequence variation at the 3' terminal region and the number and position of orfUs differ from strain to strain. Based on usp gene types and orfU sequential patterns, PAIusp can be divided into four subtypes. Subtyping of PAIusp is a useful method to characterize UPEC strains. In this study, we developed a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method to differentiate usp gene types. This method could correctly identify the usp gene type in usp-positive UPEC strains in our laboratory.

Matched MeSH terms: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/genetics*
Fulltext Identification of IncA/C Plasmid Replication and Maintenance Genes and Development of a Plasmid Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme

Hancock SJ, Phan MD, Peters KM, Forde BM, Chong TM, Yin WF, et al.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2017 02;61(2).
PMID: 27872077 DOI: 10.1128/AAC.01740-16

Plasmids of incompatibility group A/C (IncA/C) are becoming increasingly prevalent within pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae They are associated with the dissemination of multiple clinically relevant resistance genes, including blaCMY and blaNDM Current typing methods for IncA/C plasmids offer limited resolution. In this study, we present the complete sequence of a blaNDM-1-positive IncA/C plasmid, pMS6198A, isolated from a multidrug-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain. Hypersaturated transposon mutagenesis, coupled with transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS), was employed to identify conserved genetic elements required for replication and maintenance of pMS6198A. Our analysis of TraDIS data identified roles for the replicon, including repA, a toxin-antitoxin system; two putative partitioning genes, parAB; and a putative gene, 053 Construction of mini-IncA/C plasmids and examination of their stability within E. coli confirmed that the region encompassing 053 contributes to the stable maintenance of IncA/C plasmids. Subsequently, the four major maintenance genes (repA, parAB, and 053) were used to construct a new plasmid multilocus sequence typing (PMLST) scheme for IncA/C plasmids. Application of this scheme to a database of 82 IncA/C plasmids identified 11 unique sequence types (STs), with two dominant STs. The majority of blaNDM-positive plasmids examined (15/17; 88%) fall into ST1, suggesting acquisition and subsequent expansion of this blaNDM-containing plasmid lineage. The IncA/C PMLST scheme represents a standardized tool to identify, track, and analyze the dissemination of important IncA/C plasmid lineages, particularly in the context of epidemiological studies.

Matched MeSH terms: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/genetics*
Fulltext Lineage-Specific Methyltransferases Define the Methylome of the Globally Disseminated Escherichia coli ST131 Clone

Forde BM, Phan MD, Gawthorne JA, Ashcroft MM, Stanton-Cook M, Sarkar S, et al.

mBio, 2015 Nov 17;6(6):e01602-15.
PMID: 26578678 DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01602-15

Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) is a clone of uropathogenic E. coli that has emerged rapidly and disseminated globally in both clinical and community settings. Members of the ST131 lineage from across the globe have been comprehensively characterized in terms of antibiotic resistance, virulence potential, and pathogenicity, but to date nothing is known about the methylome of these important human pathogens. Here we used single-molecule real-time (SMRT) PacBio sequencing to determine the methylome of E. coli EC958, the most-well-characterized completely sequenced ST131 strain. Our analysis of 52,081 methylated adenines in the genome of EC958 discovered three (m6)A methylation motifs that have not been described previously. Subsequent SMRT sequencing of isogenic knockout mutants identified the two type I methyltransferases (MTases) and one type IIG MTase responsible for (m6)A methylation of novel recognition sites. Although both type I sites were rare, the type IIG sites accounted for more than 12% of all methylated adenines in EC958. Analysis of the distribution of MTase genes across 95 ST131 genomes revealed their prevalence is highly conserved within the ST131 lineage, with most variation due to the presence or absence of mobile genetic elements on which individual MTase genes are located.
IMPORTANCE: DNA modification plays a crucial role in bacterial regulation. Despite several examples demonstrating the role of methyltransferase (MTase) enzymes in bacterial virulence, investigation of this phenomenon on a whole-genome scale has remained elusive until now. Here we used single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing to determine the first complete methylome of a strain from the multidrug-resistant E. coli sequence type 131 (ST131) lineage. By interrogating the methylome computationally and with further SMRT sequencing of isogenic mutants representing previously uncharacterized MTase genes, we defined the target sequences of three novel ST131-specific MTases and determined the genomic distribution of all MTase target sequences. Using a large collection of 95 previously sequenced ST131 genomes, we identified mobile genetic elements as a major factor driving diversity in DNA methylation patterns. Overall, our analysis highlights the potential for DNA methylation to dramatically influence gene regulation at the transcriptional level within a well-defined E. coli clone.

Matched MeSH terms: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/genetics
Fulltext Discovery of New Genes Involved in Curli Production by a Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Strain from the Highly Virulent O45:K1:H7 Lineage

Nhu NTK, Phan MD, Peters KM, Lo AW, Forde BM, Min Chong T, et al.

mBio, 2018 08 21;9(4).
PMID: 30131362 DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01462-18

Curli are bacterial surface-associated amyloid fibers that bind to the dye Congo red (CR) and facilitate uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) biofilm formation and protection against host innate defenses. Here we sequenced the genome of the curli-producing UPEC pyelonephritis strain MS7163 and showed it belongs to the highly virulent O45:K1:H7 neonatal meningitis-associated clone. MS7163 produced curli at human physiological temperature, and this correlated with biofilm growth, resistance of sessile cells to the human cationic peptide cathelicidin, and enhanced colonization of the mouse bladder. We devised a forward genetic screen using CR staining as a proxy for curli production and identified 41 genes that were required for optimal CR binding, of which 19 genes were essential for curli synthesis. Ten of these genes were novel or poorly characterized with respect to curli synthesis and included genes involved in purine de novo biosynthesis, a regulator that controls the Rcs phosphorelay system, and a novel repressor of curli production (referred to as rcpA). The involvement of these genes in curli production was confirmed by the construction of defined mutants and their complementation. The mutants did not express the curli major subunit CsgA and failed to produce curli based on CR binding. Mutation of purF (the first gene in the purine biosynthesis pathway) and rcpA also led to attenuated colonization of the mouse bladder. Overall, this work has provided new insight into the regulation of curli and the role of these amyloid fibers in UPEC biofilm formation and pathogenesis.IMPORTANCE Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are the most common cause of urinary tract infection, a disease increasingly associated with escalating antibiotic resistance. UPEC strains possess multiple surface-associated factors that enable their colonization of the urinary tract, including fimbriae, curli, and autotransporters. Curli are extracellular amyloid fibers that enhance UPEC virulence and promote biofilm formation. Here we examined the function and regulation of curli in a UPEC pyelonephritis strain belonging to the highly virulent O45:K1:H7 neonatal meningitis-associated clone. Curli expression at human physiological temperature led to increased biofilm formation, resistance of sessile cells to the human cationic peptide LL-37, and enhanced bladder colonization. Using a comprehensive genetic screen, we identified multiple genes involved in curli production, including several that were novel or poorly characterized with respect to curli synthesis. In total, this study demonstrates an important role for curli as a UPEC virulence factor that promotes biofilm formation, resistance, and pathogenesis.

Matched MeSH terms: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/genetics*
Fulltext Evaluation of PAIusp subtyping to characterize uropathogenic E. coli isolates

Lai YM, Zaw MT, Shamsudin SB, Lin Z

J Infect Dev Ctries, 2016 Oct 31;10(10):1053-1058.
PMID: 27801366 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.6944

INTRODUCTION: Uropathogenic virulence factors have been identified by comparing the prevalence of these among urinary tract isolates and environmental strains. The uropathogenic-specific protein (USP) gene is present on the pathogenicity island (PAI) of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) and, depending on its two diverse gene types and the sequential patterns of three open reading frame units (orfUs) following it, there is a method to characterize UPEC epidemiologically called PAIusp subtyping.
METHODOLOGY: A total of 162 UPEC isolates from Sabah, Malaysia, were tested for the presence of the usp gene and the sequential patterns of three orfUs following it using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, by means of triplex PCR, the prevalence of the usp gene was compared with other two VFs of UPEC, namely alpha hemolysin (α-hly) and cytotoxic necrotizing factor (cnf-1) genes encoding two toxins.
RESULTS: The results showed that the usp gene was found in 78.40% of UPEC isolates, indicating that its prevalence was comparable to that found in a previous study in Japan. The two or three orfUs were also associated with the usp gene in this study. All the PAIusp subtypes observed in Japan were present in this study, while subtype IIa was the most common in both studies. The usp gene was observed in a higher percentage of isolates when compared with α-hly and cnf-1 genes.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings in Japan and Sabah, East Malaysia, were similar, indicating that PAIusp subtyping is applicable to the characterization of UPEC strains epidemiologically elsewhere in the world.

Matched MeSH terms: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/genetics*
Modifications in the pmrB gene are the primary mechanism for the development of chromosomally encoded resistance to polymyxins in uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Phan MD, Nhu NTK, Achard MES, Forde BM, Hong KW, Chong TM, et al.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2017 10 01;72(10):2729-2736.
PMID: 29091192 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkx204

Objectives: Polymyxins remain one of the last-resort drugs to treat infections caused by MDR Gram-negative pathogens. Here, we determined the mechanisms by which chromosomally encoded resistance to colistin and polymyxin B can arise in the MDR uropathogenic Escherichia coli ST131 reference strain EC958.
Methods: Two complementary approaches, saturated transposon mutagenesis and spontaneous mutation induction with high concentrations of colistin and polymyxin B, were employed to select for mutations associated with resistance to polymyxins. Mutants were identified using transposon-directed insertion-site sequencing or Illumina WGS. A resistance phenotype was confirmed by MIC and further investigated using RT-PCR. Competitive growth assays were used to measure fitness cost.
Results: A transposon insertion at nucleotide 41 of the pmrB gene (EC958pmrB41-Tn5) enhanced its transcript level, resulting in a 64- and 32-fold increased MIC of colistin and polymyxin B, respectively. Three spontaneous mutations, also located within the pmrB gene, conferred resistance to both colistin and polymyxin B with a corresponding increase in transcription of the pmrCAB genes. All three mutations incurred a fitness cost in the absence of colistin and polymyxin B.
Conclusions: This study identified the pmrB gene as the main chromosomal target for induction of colistin and polymyxin B resistance in E. coli.

Matched MeSH terms: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/genetics*
Fulltext Genome-Wide Discovery of Genes Required for Capsule Production by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Goh KGK, Phan MD, Forde BM, Chong TM, Yin WF, Chan KG, et al.

mBio, 2017 10 24;8(5).
PMID: 29066548 DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01558-17

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a major cause of urinary tract and bloodstream infections and possesses an array of virulence factors for colonization, survival, and persistence. One such factor is the polysaccharide K capsule. Among the different K capsule types, the K1 serotype is strongly associated with UPEC infection. In this study, we completely sequenced the K1 UPEC urosepsis strain PA45B and employed a novel combination of a lytic K1 capsule-specific phage, saturated Tn5 transposon mutagenesis, and high-throughput transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS) to identify the complement of genes required for capsule production. Our analysis identified known genes involved in capsule biosynthesis, as well as two additional regulatory genes (mprA and lrhA) that we characterized at the molecular level. Mutation of mprA resulted in protection against K1 phage-mediated killing, a phenotype restored by complementation. We also identified a significantly increased unidirectional Tn5 insertion frequency upstream of the lrhA gene and showed that strong expression of LrhA induced by a constitutive Pcl promoter led to loss of capsule production. Further analysis revealed loss of MprA or overexpression of LrhA affected the transcription of capsule biosynthesis genes in PA45B and increased sensitivity to killing in whole blood. Similar phenotypes were also observed in UPEC strains UTI89 (K1) and CFT073 (K2), demonstrating that the effects were neither strain nor capsule type specific. Overall, this study defined the genome of a UPEC urosepsis isolate and identified and characterized two new regulatory factors that affect UPEC capsule production.IMPORTANCE Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in humans and are primarily caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Many UPEC strains express a polysaccharide K capsule that provides protection against host innate immune factors and contributes to survival and persistence during infection. The K1 serotype is one example of a polysaccharide capsule type and is strongly associated with UPEC strains that cause UTIs, bloodstream infections, and meningitis. The number of UTIs caused by antibiotic-resistant UPEC is steadily increasing, highlighting the need to better understand factors (e.g., the capsule) that contribute to UPEC pathogenesis. This study describes the original and novel application of lytic capsule-specific phage killing, saturated Tn5 transposon mutagenesis, and high-throughput transposon-directed insertion site sequencing to define the entire complement of genes required for capsule production in UPEC. Our comprehensive approach uncovered new genes involved in the regulation of this key virulence determinant.

Matched MeSH terms: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/genetics*