Link Between Antibiotic Persistence and Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Pathogens.

Both, antibiotic persistence and antibiotic resistance characterize phenotypes of survival in which a bacterial cell becomes insensitive to one (or even) more antibiotic(s). However, the molecular basis for these two antibiotic-tolerant phenotypes is fundamentally different. Whereas antibiotic resistance is genetically determined and hence represents a rather stable phenotype, antibiotic persistence marks a transient physiological state triggered by various stress-inducing conditions that switches back to the original antibiotic sensitive state once the environmental situation improves. The molecular basics of antibiotic resistance are in principle well understood. This is not the case for antibiotic persistence. Under all culture conditions, there is a stochastically formed, subpopulation of persister cells in bacterial populations, the size of which depends on the culture conditions. The proportion of persisters in a bacterial population increases under different stress conditions, including treatment with bactericidal antibiotics (BCAs). Various models have been proposed to explain the formation of persistence in bacteria. We recently hypothesized that all physiological culture conditions leading to persistence converge in the inability of the bacteria to re-initiate a new round of DNA replication caused by an insufficient level of the initiator complex ATP-DnaA and hence by the lack of formation of a functional orisome. Here, we extend this hypothesis by proposing that in this persistence state the bacteria become more susceptible to mutation-based antibiotic resistance provided they are equipped with error-prone DNA repair functions. This is - in our opinion - in particular the case when such bacterial populations are exposed to BCAs.

Substrate usage determines carbon flux via the citrate cycle in Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori displays a worldwide infection rate of about 50%. The Gram-negative bacterium is the main reason for gastric cancer and other severe diseases. Despite considerable knowledge about the metabolic inventory of H. pylori, carbon fluxes through the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) remained enigmatic. In this study, different 13 C-labeled substrates were supplied as carbon sources to H. pylori during microaerophilic growth in a complex medium. After growth, 13 C-excess and 13 C-distribution were determined in multiple metabolites using GC-MS analysis. [U-13 C6 ]Glucose was efficiently converted into glyceraldehyde but only less into TCA cycle-related metabolites. In contrast, [U-13 C5 ]glutamate, [U-13 C4 ]succinate, and [U-13 C4 ]aspartate were incorporated at high levels into intermediates of the TCA cycle. The comparative analysis of the 13 C-distributions indicated an adaptive TCA cycle fully operating in the closed oxidative direction with rapid equilibrium fluxes between oxaloacetate-succinate and α-ketoglutarate-citrate. 13 C-Profiles of the four-carbon intermediates in the TCA cycle, especially of malate, together with the observation of an isocitrate lyase activity by in vitro assays, suggested carbon fluxes via a glyoxylate bypass. In conjunction with the lack of enzymes for anaplerotic CO2 fixation, the glyoxylate bypass could be relevant to fill up the TCA cycle with carbon atoms derived from acetyl-CoA.

From the beginning to the present state of molecular microbial pathogenesis-A tribute to Pascale Cossart.

The universe of Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis is filled with many female and male stars. But there are two particularly bright shining supernovae-like stars: the late Stanley Falkow and the very lively and creative Pascale Cossart. These two outstanding luminaries, surrounded by numerous planets, do not only belong to different scientific generations but their splendor also comes from very different scientific concepts. Stanley Falkow, often referred to as the 'Father of Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis', made many groundbreaking contributions to this field by addressing almost all important bacterial pathogens. Pascale Cossart, who could be called in analogy the 'Queen of Modern Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis' by combining the Microbiology and Cell Biology, concentrates in her similarly impressive scientific work essentially on a single bacterial species which she studied and still studies in great depth: the facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes-and the vast majority of her most prominent publications deals with this pathogen in almost all facets. It is certainly not an exaggeration to say that she together with her co-workers and collaborators developed this model bacterium into a paradigm among the intracellular bacterial pathogens.

Persistence of Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens-With a Focus on the Metabolic Perspective.

Persistence has evolved as a potent survival strategy to overcome adverse environmental conditions. This capability is common to almost all bacteria, including all human bacterial pathogens and likely connected to chronic infections caused by some of these pathogens. Although the majority of a bacterial cell population will be killed by the particular stressors, like antibiotics, oxygen and nitrogen radicals, nutrient starvation and others, a varying subpopulation (termed persisters) will withstand the stress situation and will be able to revive once the stress is removed. Several factors and pathways have been identified in the past that apparently favor the formation of persistence, such as various toxin/antitoxin modules or stringent response together with the alarmone (p)ppGpp. However, persistence can occur stochastically in few cells even of stress-free bacterial populations. Growth of these cells could then be induced by the stress conditions. In this review, we focus on the persister formation of human intracellular bacterial pathogens, some of which belong to the most successful persister producers but lack some or even all of the assumed persistence-triggering factors and pathways. We propose a mechanism for the persister formation of these bacterial pathogens which is based on their specific intracellular bipartite metabolism. We postulate that this mode of metabolism ultimately leads, under certain starvation conditions, to the stalling of DNA replication initiation which may be causative for the persister state.

How Viral and Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens Reprogram the Metabolism of Host Cells to Allow Their Intracellular Replication.

Viruses and intracellular bacterial pathogens (IBPs) have in common the need of suitable host cells for efficient replication and proliferation during infection. In human infections, the cell types which both groups of pathogens are using as hosts are indeed quite similar and include phagocytic immune cells, especially monocytes/macrophages (MOs/MPs) and dendritic cells (DCs), as well as nonprofessional phagocytes, like epithelial cells, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. These terminally differentiated cells are normally in a metabolically quiescent state when they are encountered by these pathogens during infection. This metabolic state of the host cells does not meet the extensive need for nutrients required for efficient intracellular replication of viruses and especially IBPs which, in contrast to the viral pathogens, have to perform their own specific intracellular metabolism to survive and efficiently replicate in their host cell niches. For this goal, viruses and IBPs have to reprogram the host cell metabolism in a pathogen-specific manner to increase the supply of nutrients, energy, and metabolites which have to be provided to the pathogen to allow its replication. In viral infections, this appears to be often achieved by the interaction of specific viral factors with central metabolic regulators, including oncogenes and tumor suppressors, or by the introduction of virus-specific oncogenes. Less is so far known on the mechanisms leading to metabolic reprogramming of the host cell by IBPs. However, the still scant data suggest that similar mechanisms may also determine the reprogramming of the host cell metabolism in IBP infections. In this review, we summarize and compare the present knowledge on this important, yet still poorly understood aspect of pathogenesis of human viral and especially IBP infections.

To Eat and to Be Eaten: Mutual Metabolic Adaptations of Immune Cells and Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens upon Infection.

Intracellular bacterial pathogens (IBPs) invade and replicate in different cell types including immune cells, in particular of the innate immune system (IIS) during infection in the acute phase. However, immune cells primarily function as essential players in the highly effective and integrated host defense systems comprising the IIS and the adaptive immune system (AIS), which cooperatively protect the host against invading microbes including IBPs. As countermeasures, the bacterial pathogens (and in particular the IBPs) have developed strategies to evade or reprogram the IIS at various steps. The intracellular replication capacity and the anti-immune defense responses of the IBP's as well as the specific antimicrobial responses of the immune cells of the innate and the AIS depend on specific metabolic programs of the IBPs and their host cells. The metabolic programs of the immune cells supporting or counteracting replication of the IBPs appear to be mutually exclusive. Indeed, recent studies show that upon interaction of naïve, metabolically quiescent immune cells with IBPs, different metabolic activation processes occur which may result in the provision of a survival and replication niche for the pathogen or its eradication. It is therefore likely that within a possible host cell population subsets exist that are metabolically programmed for pro- or anti-microbial conditions. These metabolic programs may be triggered by the interactions between different bacterial agonistic components and host cell receptors. In this review, we summarize the current status in the field and discuss metabolic adaptation processes within immune cells of the IIS and the IBPs that support or restrict the intracellular replication of the pathogens.

Metabolic adaptation of Chlamydia trachomatis to mammalian host cells.

Metabolic adaptation is a key feature for the virulence of pathogenic intracellular bacteria. Nevertheless, little is known about the pathways in adapting the bacterial metabolism to multiple carbon sources available from the host cell. To analyze the metabolic adaptation of the obligate intracellular human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis, we labeled infected HeLa or Caco-2 cells with 13 C-marked glucose, glutamine, malate or a mix of amino acids as tracers. Comparative GC-MS-based isotopologue analysis of protein-derived amino acids from the host cell and the bacterial fraction showed that C. trachomatis efficiently imported amino acids from the host cell for protein biosynthesis. FT-ICR-MS analyses also demonstrated that label from exogenous 13 C-glucose was efficiently shuffled into chlamydial lipopolysaccharide probably via glucose 6-phosphate of the host cell. Minor fractions of bacterial Ala, Asp, and Glu were made de novo probably using dicarboxylates from the citrate cycle of the host cell. Indeed, exogenous 13 C-malate was efficiently taken up by C. trachomatis and metabolized into fumarate and succinate when the bacteria were kept in axenic medium containing the malate tracer. Together, the data indicate co-substrate usage of intracellular C. trachomatis in a stream-lined bipartite metabolism with host cell-supplied amino acids for protein biosynthesis, host cell-provided glucose 6-phosphate for cell wall biosynthesis, and, to some extent, one or more host cell-derived dicarboxylates, e.g. malate, feeding the partial TCA cycle of the bacterium. The latter flux could also support the biosynthesis of meso-2,6-diaminopimelate required for the formation of chlamydial peptidoglycan.

Pathway analysis using (13) C-glycerol and other carbon tracers reveals a bipartite metabolism of Legionella pneumophila.

Amino acids represent the prime carbon and energy source for Legionella pneumophila, a facultative intracellular pathogen, which can cause a life-threatening pneumonia termed Legionnaires' disease. Genome, transcriptome and proteome studies indicate that L. pneumophila also utilizes carbon substrates other than amino acids. We show here that glycerol promotes intracellular replication of L. pneumophila in amoeba or macrophages (but not extracellular growth) dependent on glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, GlpD. An L. pneumophila mutant strain lacking glpD was outcompeted by wild-type bacteria upon co-infection of amoeba, indicating an important role of glycerol during infection. Isotopologue profiling studies using (13) C-labelled substrates were performed in a novel minimal defined medium, MDM, comprising essential amino acids, proline and phenylalanine. In MDM, L. pneumophila utilized (13) C-labelled glycerol or glucose predominantly for gluconeogenesis and the pentose phosphate pathway, while the amino acid serine was used for energy generation via the citrate cycle. Similar results were obtained for L. pneumophila growing intracellularly in amoeba fed with (13) C-labelled glycerol, glucose or serine. Collectively, these results reveal a bipartite metabolism of L. pneumophila, where glycerol and carbohydrates like glucose are mainly fed into anabolic processes, while serine serves as major energy supply.

Metabolic Adaptations of Intracellullar Bacterial Pathogens and their Mammalian Host Cells during Infection ("Pathometabolism").

Several bacterial pathogens that cause severe infections in warm-blooded animals, including humans, have the potential to actively invade host cells and to efficiently replicate either in the cytosol or in specialized vacuoles of the mammalian cells. The interaction between these intracellular bacterial pathogens and the host cells always leads to multiple physiological changes in both interacting partners, including complex metabolic adaptation reactions aimed to promote proliferation of the pathogen within different compartments of the host cells. In this chapter, we discuss the necessary nutrients and metabolic pathways used by some selected cytosolic and vacuolar intracellular pathogens and--when available--the links between the intracellular bacterial metabolism and the expression of the virulence genes required for the intracellular bacterial replication cycle. Furthermore, we address the growing evidence that pathogen-specific factors may also trigger metabolic responses of the infected mammalian cells affecting the carbon and nitrogen metabolism as well as defense reactions. We also point out that many studies on the metabolic host cell responses induced by the pathogens have to be scrutinized due to the use of established cell lines as model host cells, as these cells are (in the majority) cancer cells that exhibit a dysregulated primary carbon metabolism. As the exact knowledge of the metabolic host cell responses may also provide new concepts for antibacterial therapies, there is undoubtedly an urgent need for host cell models that more closely reflect the in vivo infection conditions.

Listeria arpJ gene modifies T helper type 2 subset differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Although the T-cell subset differentiation pathway has been characterized extensively from the view of host gene regulation, the effects of genes of the pathogen on T-cell subset differentiation during infection have yet to be elucidated. Especially, the bacterial genes that are responsible for this shift have not yet been determined. METHODS: Utilizing a single-gene-mutation Listeria panel, we investigated genes involved in the host-pathogen interaction that are required for the initiation of T-cell subset differentiation in the early phase of pathogen infection. RESULTS: We demonstrate that the induction of T helper types 1 and 2 (Th1 and Th2) subsets are separate phenomena and are mediated by distinct Listeria genes. We identified several candidate Listeria genes that appear to be involved in the host-Listeria interaction. Among them, arpJ is the strongest candidate gene for inhibiting Th2 subset induction. Furthermore, the analysis utilizing arpJ-deficient Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) revealed that the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily (Tnfsf) 9-TNF receptor superfamily (Tnfrsf) 9 interaction inhibits the Th2 response during Lm infection. CONCLUSIONS: arpJ is the candidate gene for inhibiting Th2 T-cell subset induction. The arpJ gene product influences the expression of Tnfsf/Tnfrsf on antigen-presenting cells and inhibits the Th2 T-cell subset differentiation during Listeria infection.

Analysis of carbon substrates used by Listeria monocytogenes during growth in J774A.1 macrophages suggests a bipartite intracellular metabolism.

Intracellular bacterial pathogens (IBPs) are dependent on various nutrients provided by the host cells. Different strategies may therefore be necessary to adapt the intracellular metabolism of IBPs to the host cells. The specific carbon sources, the catabolic pathways participating in their degradation, and the biosynthetic performances of IBPs are still poorly understood. In this report, we have exploited the technique of (13)C-isotopologue profiling to further study the carbon metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes by using the EGDe wild-type strain and mutants (defective in the uptake and/or catabolism of various carbon compounds) replicating in J774A.1 macrophages. For this goal, the infected macrophages were cultivated in the presence of [1,2-(13)C2]glucose, [U-(13)C3]glycerol, [U-(13)C3]pyruvate, [U-(13)C3]lactate, or a mix of [U-(13)C]amino acids. GC/MS-based isotopologue profiling showed efficient utilization of amino acids, glucose 6-phosphate, glycerol, and (at a low extent) also of lactate but not of pyruvate by the IBPs. Most amino acids imported from the host cells were directly used for bacterial protein biosynthesis and hardly catabolized. However, Asp was de novo synthesized by the IBPs and not imported from the host cell. As expected, glycerol was catabolized via the ATP-generating lower part of the glycolytic pathway, but apparently not used for gluconeogenesis. The intermediates generated from glucose 6-phosphate in the upper part of the glycolytic pathway and the pentose phosphate shunt likely serve primarily for anabolic purposes (probably for the biosynthesis of cell wall components and nucleotides). This bipartite bacterial metabolism which involves at least two major carbon substrates-glycerol mainly for energy supply and glucose 6-phosphate mainly for indispensible anabolic performances-may put less nutritional stress on the infected host cells, thereby extending the lifespan of the host cells to the benefit of the IBPs.

Metabolic host responses to infection by intracellular bacterial pathogens.

The interaction of bacterial pathogens with mammalian hosts leads to a variety of physiological responses of the interacting partners aimed at an adaptation to the new situation. These responses include multiple metabolic changes in the affected host cells which are most obvious when the pathogen replicates within host cells as in case of intracellular bacterial pathogens. While the pathogen tries to deprive nutrients from the host cell, the host cell in return takes various metabolic countermeasures against the nutrient theft. During this conflicting interaction, the pathogen triggers metabolic host cell responses by means of common cell envelope components and specific virulence-associated factors. These host reactions generally promote replication of the pathogen. There is growing evidence that pathogen-specific factors may interfere in different ways with the complex regulatory network that controls the carbon and nitrogen metabolism of mammalian cells. The host cell defense answers include general metabolic reactions, like the generation of oxygen- and/or nitrogen-reactive species, and more specific measures aimed to prevent access to essential nutrients for the respective pathogen. Accurate results on metabolic host cell responses are often hampered by the use of cancer cell lines that already exhibit various de-regulated reactions in the primary carbon metabolism. Hence, there is an urgent need for cellular models that more closely reflect the in vivo infection conditions. The exact knowledge of the metabolic host cell responses may provide new interesting concepts for antibacterial therapies.

Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of lineages I, II, and III strains of Listeria monocytogenes.

BACKGROUND: Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that causes infections with a high-mortality rate and has served as an invaluable model for intracellular parasitism. Here, we report complete genome sequences for two L. monocytogenes strains belonging to serotype 4a (L99) and 4b (CLIP80459), and transcriptomes of representative strains from lineages I, II, and III, thereby permitting in-depth comparison of genome- and transcriptome -based data from three lineages of L. monocytogenes. Lineage III, represented by the 4a L99 genome is known to contain strains less virulent for humans. RESULTS: The genome analysis of the weakly pathogenic L99 serotype 4a provides extensive evidence of virulence gene decay, including loss of several important surface proteins. The 4b CLIP80459 genome, unlike the previously sequenced 4b F2365 genome harbours an intact inlB invasion gene. These lineage I strains are characterized by the lack of prophage genes, as they share only a single prophage locus with other L. monocytogenes genomes 1/2a EGD-e and 4a L99. Comparative transcriptome analysis during intracellular growth uncovered adaptive expression level differences in lineages I, II and III of Listeria, notable amongst which was a strong intracellular induction of flagellar genes in strain 4a L99 compared to the other lineages. Furthermore, extensive differences between strains are manifest at levels of metabolic flux control and phosphorylated sugar uptake. Intriguingly, prophage gene expression was found to be a hallmark of intracellular gene expression. Deletion mutants in the single shared prophage locus of lineage II strain EGD-e 1/2a, the lma operon, revealed severe attenuation of virulence in a murine infection model. CONCLUSION: Comparative genomics and transcriptome analysis of L. monocytogenes strains from three lineages implicate prophage genes in intracellular adaptation and indicate that gene loss and decay may have led to the emergence of attenuated lineages.

Metabolic responses of primary and transformed cells to intracellular Listeria monocytogenes.

The metabolic response of host cells, in particular of primary mammalian cells, to bacterial infections is poorly understood. Here, we compare the carbon metabolism of primary mouse macrophages and of established J774A.1 cells upon Listeria monocytogenes infection using (13)C-labelled glucose or glutamine as carbon tracers. The (13)C-profiles of protein-derived amino acids from labelled host cells and intracellular L. monocytogenes identified active metabolic pathways in the different cell types. In the primary cells, infection with live L. monocytogenes increased glycolytic activity and enhanced flux of pyruvate into the TCA cycle via pyruvate dehydrogenase and pyruvate carboxylase, while in J774A.1 cells the already high glycolytic and glutaminolytic activities hardly changed upon infection. The carbon metabolism of intracellular L. monocytogenes was similar in both host cells. Taken together, the data suggest that efficient listerial replication in the cytosol of the host cells mainly depends on the glycolytic activity of the hosts.

Metabolic adaptation of human pathogenic and related nonpathogenic bacteria to extra- and intracellular habitats.

Most bacteria pathogenic for humans have closely related nonpathogenic counterparts that live as saprophytes, commensals or even symbionts (mutualists) in similar or different habitats. The knowledge of how these bacteria adapt their metabolism to the preferred habitats is critical for our understanding of pathogenesis, commensalism and symbiosis, and - in the case of bacterial pathogens - could help to identify targets for new antimicrobial agents. The focus of this review is on the metabolic potentials and adaptations of three different groups of human extra- and intracellular bacterial pathogens and their nonpathogenic relatives. All bacteria selected have the potential to reach the interior of mammalian host cells. However, their ability to replicate intracellularly differs significantly. The question therefore arises whether there are specific metabolic requirements that support stable intracellular replication. Furthermore, we discuss - whenever relevant data for the pathogenic representatives are available - the possible effect of the metabolism on the expression of virulence genes.

Specific antibody-receptor interactions trigger InlAB-independent uptake of Listeria monocytogenes into tumor cell lines.

BACKGROUND: Specific cell targeting is an important, yet unsolved problem in bacteria-based therapeutic applications, like tumor or gene therapy. Here, we describe the construction of a novel, internalin A and B (InlAB)-deficient Listeria monocytogenes strain (Lm-spa+), which expresses protein A of Staphylococcus aureus (SPA) and anchors SPA in the correct orientation on the bacterial cell surface. RESULTS: This listerial strain efficiently binds antibodies allowing specific interaction of the bacterium with the target recognized by the antibody. Binding of Trastuzumab (Herceptin®) or Cetuximab (Erbitux®) to Lm-spa+, two clinically approved monoclonal antibodies directed against HER2/neu and EGFR/HER1, respectively, triggers InlAB-independent internalization into non-phagocytic cancer cell lines overexpressing the respective receptors. Internalization, subsequent escape into the host cell cytosol and intracellular replication of these bacteria are as efficient as of the corresponding InlAB-positive, SPA-negative parental strain. This specific antibody/receptor-mediated internalization of Lm-spa+ is shown in the murine 4T1 tumor cell line, the isogenic 4T1-HER2 cell line as well as the human cancer cell lines SK-BR-3 and SK-OV-3. Importantly, this targeting approach is applicable in a xenograft mouse tumor model after crosslinking the antibody to SPA on the listerial cell surface. CONCLUSIONS: Binding of receptor-specific antibodies to SPA-expressing L. monocytogenes may represent a promising approach to target L. monocytogenes to host cells expressing specific receptors triggering internalization.

Deciphering the intracellular metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes by mutant screening and modelling.

BACKGROUND: The human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes resides and proliferates within the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. While the virulence factors essentially contributing to this step of the infection cycle are well characterized, the set of listerial genes contributing to intracellular replication remains to be defined on a genome-wide level. RESULTS: A comprehensive library of L. monocytogenes strain EGD knockout mutants was constructed upon insertion-duplication mutagenesis, and 1491 mutants were tested for their phenotypes in rich medium and in a Caco-2 cell culture assay. Following sequencing of the plasmid insertion site, 141 different genes required for invasion of and replication in Caco-2 cells were identified. Ten in-frame deletion mutants were constructed that confirmed the data. The genes with known functions are mainly involved in cellular processes including transport, in the intermediary metabolism of sugars, nucleotides and lipids, and in information pathways such as regulatory functions. No function could be ascribed to 18 genes, and a counterpart of eight genes is missing in the apathogenic species L. innocua. Mice infection studies revealed the in vivo requirement of IspE (Lmo0190) involved in mevalonate synthesis, and of the novel ABC transporter Lmo0135-0137 associated with cysteine transport. Based on the data of this genome-scale screening, an extreme pathway and elementary mode analysis was applied that demonstrates the critical role of glycerol and purine metabolism, of fucose utilization, and of the synthesis of glutathione, aspartate semialdehyde, serine and branched chain amino acids during intracellular replication of L. monocytogenes. CONCLUSION: The combination of a genetic screening and a modelling approach revealed that a series of transporters help L. monocytogenes to overcome a putative lack of nutrients within cells, and that a high metabolic flexibility contributes to the intracellular replication of this pathogen.

Mutations affecting export and activity of cytolysin A from Escherichia coli.

Cytolysin A (known as ClyA, HlyE, and SheA) is a cytolytic pore-forming protein toxin found in several Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica strains. The structure of its water-soluble monomeric form and that of dodecameric ClyA pores is known, but the mechanisms of ClyA export from bacterial cells and of pore assembly are only partially understood. Here we used site-directed mutagenesis to study the importance of different regions of the E. coli ClyA protein for export and activity. The data indicate that ClyA translocation to the periplasm requires several protein segments located closely adjacent to each other in the "tail" domain of the ClyA monomer, namely, the N- and C-terminal regions and the hydrophobic sequence ranging from residues 89 to 101. Deletion of most of the "head" domain of the monomer (residues 181 to 203), on the other hand, did not strongly affect ClyA secretion, suggesting that the tail domain plays a particular role in export. Furthermore, we found that the N-terminal amphipathic helix alphaA1 of ClyA is crucial for the formation and the properties of the transmembrane channel, and hence for hemolytic activity. Several mutations affecting the C-terminal helix alphaG, the "beta-tongue" region in the head domain, or the hydrophobic region in the tail domain of the ClyA monomer strongly impaired the hemolytic activity and reduced the activity toward planar lipid bilayer membranes but did not totally prevent formation of wild-type-like channels in these artificial membranes. The latter regions thus apparently promote membrane interaction without being directly required for pore formation in a lipid bilayer.

Carbon metabolism of enterobacterial human pathogens growing in epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells.

Analysis of the genome sequences of the major human bacterial pathogens has provided a large amount of information concerning their metabolic potential. However, our knowledge of the actual metabolic pathways and metabolite fluxes occurring in these pathogens under infection conditions is still limited. In this study, we analysed the intracellular carbon metabolism of enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC HN280 and EIEC 4608-58) and Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium (Stm 14028) replicating in epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2). To this aim, we supplied [U-(13)C(6)]glucose to Caco-2 cells infected with the bacterial strains or mutants thereof impaired in the uptake of glucose, mannose and/or glucose 6-phosphate. The (13)C-isotopologue patterns of protein-derived amino acids from the bacteria and the host cells were then determined by mass spectrometry. The data showed that EIEC HN280 growing in the cytosol of the host cells, as well as Stm 14028 replicating in the Salmonella-containing vacuole (SCV) utilised glucose, but not glucose 6-phosphate, other phosphorylated carbohydrates, gluconate or fatty acids as major carbon substrates. EIEC 4608-58 used C(3)-compound(s) in addition to glucose as carbon source. The labelling patterns reflected strain-dependent carbon flux via glycolysis and/or the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, the pentose phosphate pathway, the TCA cycle and anapleurotic reactions between PEP and oxaloacetate. Mutants of all three strains impaired in the uptake of glucose switched to C(3)-substrate(s) accompanied by an increased uptake of amino acids (and possibly also other anabolic monomers) from the host cell. Surprisingly, the metabolism of the host cells, as judged by the efficiency of (13)C-incorporation into host cell amino acids, was not significantly affected by the infection with either of these intracellular pathogens.

Maltose and maltodextrin utilization by Listeria monocytogenes depend on an inducible ABC transporter which is repressed by glucose.

BACKGROUND: In the environment as well as in the vertebrate intestine, Listeriae have access to complex carbohydrates like maltodextrins. Bacterial exploitation of such compounds requires specific uptake and utilization systems. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We could show that Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species contain genes/gene products with high homology to the maltodextrin ABC transporter and utilization system of B. subtilis. Mutant construction and growth tests revealed that the L. monocytogenes gene cluster was required for the efficient utilization of maltodextrins as well as maltose. The gene for the ATP binding protein of the transporter was located distant from the cluster. Transcription analyses demonstrated that the system was induced by maltose/maltodextrins and repressed by glucose. Its induction was dependent on a LacI type transcriptional regulator. Repression by glucose was independent of the catabolite control protein CcpA, but was relieved in a mutant defective for Hpr kinase/phosphorylase. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The data obtained show that in L. monocytogenes the uptake of maltodextrin and, in contrast to B. subtilis, also maltose is exclusively mediated by an ABC transporter. Furthermore, the results suggest that glucose repression of the uptake system possibly is by inducer exclusion, a mechanism not described so far in this organism.