Histone H4 potentiates neutrophil inflammatory responses to influenza A virus: Down-modulation by H4 binding to C-reactive protein and Surfactant protein D.

Neutrophils participate in the early phase of the innate response to uncomplicated influenza A virus (IAV) infection but also are a major component in later stages of severe IAV or COVID 19 infection where neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and associated cell free histones are highly pro-inflammatory. It is likely that IAV interacts with histones during infection. We show that histone H4 binds to IAV and aggregates viral particles. In addition, histone H4 markedly potentiates IAV induced neutrophil respiratory burst responses. Prior studies have shown reactive oxidants to be detrimental during severe IAV infection. C reactive protein (CRP) and surfactant protein D (SP-D) rise during IAV infection. We now show that both of these innate immune proteins bind to histone H4 and significantly down regulate respiratory burst and other responses to histone H4. Isolated constructs composed only of the neck and carbohydrate recognition domain of SP-D also bind to histone H4 and partially limit neutrophil responses to it. These studies indicate that complexes formed of histones and IAV are a potent neutrophil activating stimulus. This finding could account for excess inflammation during IAV or other severe viral infections. The ability of CRP and SP-D to bind to histone H4 may be part of a protective response against excessive inflammation in vivo.

Effects of a previously selected antibiotic resistance on mutations acquired during development of a second resistance in Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: The effect of mutations conferring antibiotic resistance can depend on the genetic background. To determine if a previously de novo acquired antibiotic resistance influences the adaptation to a second antibiotic, antibiotic resistance was selected for by exposure to stepwise increasing sublethal levels of amoxicillin, enrofloxacin, kanamycin, or tetracycline. E. coli populations adapted to either a single or two antibiotics sequentially were characterized using whole genome population sequencing and MIC measurements. RESULTS: In a wild-type background, adaptation to any of the antibiotics resulted in the appearance of well-known mutations, as well as a number of mutated genes not known to be associated with antibiotic resistance. Development of a second resistance in a strain with an earlier acquired resistance to a different antibiotic did not always result in the appearance of all mutations associated with resistance in a wild-type background. In general, a more varied set of mutations was acquired during secondary adaptation. The ability of E. coli to maintain the first resistance during this process depended on the combination of antibiotics used. The maintenance of mutations associated with resistance to the first antibiotic did not always predict the residual MIC for that compound. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the data presented here indicate that adaptation to each antibiotic is unique and independent. The mutational trajectories available in already resistant cells appear more varied than in wild-type cells, indicating that the genetic background of E. coli influences resistance development. The observed mutations cannot always fully explain the resistance pattern observed, indicating a crucial role for adaptation on the gene expression level in de novo acquisition of antibiotic resistance.

Genome rearrangements in Escherichia coli during de novo acquisition of resistance to a single antibiotic or two antibiotics successively.

BACKGROUND: The ability of bacteria to acquire resistance to antibiotics relies to a large extent on their capacity for genome modification. Prokaryotic genomes are highly plastic and can utilize horizontal gene transfer, point mutations, and gene deletions or amplifications to realize genome expansion and rearrangements. The contribution of point mutations to de novo acquisition of antibiotic resistance is well-established. In this study, the internal genome rearrangement of Escherichia coli during to de novo acquisition of antibiotic resistance was investigated using whole-genome sequencing. RESULTS: Cells were made resistant to one of the four antibiotics and subsequently to one of the three remaining. This way the initial genetic rearrangements could be documented together with the effects of an altered genetic background on subsequent development of resistance. A DNA fragment including ampC was amplified by a factor sometimes exceeding 100 as a result of exposure to amoxicillin. Excision of prophage e14 was observed in many samples with a double exposure history, but not in cells exposed to a single antibiotic, indicating that the activation of the SOS stress response alone, normally the trigger for excision, was not sufficient to cause excision of prophage e14. Partial deletion of clpS and clpA occurred in strains exposed to enrofloxacin and tetracycline. Other deletions were observed in some strains, but not in replicates with the exact same exposure history. Various insertion sequence transpositions correlated with exposure to specific antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the genome rearrangements have not been reported before to occur during resistance development. The observed correlation between genome rearrangements and specific antibiotic pressure, as well as their presence in independent replicates indicates that these events do not occur randomly. Taken together, the observed genome rearrangements illustrate the plasticity of the E. coli genome when exposed to antibiotic stress.

Influence of Reactive Oxygen Species on De Novo Acquisition of Resistance to Bactericidal Antibiotics.

The radical-based theory proposes that three major classes of bactericidal antibiotics, i.e., ß-lactams, quinolones, and aminoglycosides, have in common the downstream formation of lethal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as part of the killing mechanism. If bactericidal antibiotics exhibit a common mechanism, then it is to be expected that the acquisition of resistance against these drugs would have some shared traits as well. Indeed, cells made resistant to one bactericidal antibiotic more rapidly became resistant to another. This effect was absent after induced resistance to a bacteriostatic drug. De novo acquisition of resistance to one bactericidal antibiotic provided partial protection to killing by bactericidal antibiotics from a different class. This protective effect was observed in short-term experiments. No protective effect was detected during 24-h exposures, suggesting that cross-resistance did not occur. In the wild-type strain, exposure to bactericidal antibiotics increased intracellular ROS levels. This increase in ROS levels was not observed when strains resistant to these drugs were exposed to the same concentrations. These results indicate that de novo acquisition of resistance to the bactericidal drugs tested involves a common cellular response that provides protection against ROS accumulation upon exposure to this type of antibiotics. A central mechanism or at least a few common elements within the separate mechanisms possibly play a role during the acquisition of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic Killing through Incomplete DNA Repair.

Two recent studies show that incomplete repair of DNA damage due to oxidized nucleotides is crucial for reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related antimicrobial lethality. Using widely different experimental approaches they both reach the same conclusions on the role of downstream ROS production in cell killing upon exposure to bactericidal antimicrobials.

Histones as mediators of host defense, inflammation and thrombosis.

Histones are known for their ability to bind to and regulate expression of DNA. However, histones are also present in cytoplasm and extracellular fluids where they serve host defense functions and promote inflammatory responses. Histones are a major component of neutrophil extracellular traps that contribute to bacterial killing but also to inflammatory injury. Histones can act as antimicrobial peptides and directly kill bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, in vitro and in a variety of animal hosts. In addition, histones can trigger inflammatory responses in some cases acting through Toll-like receptors or inflammasome pathways. Extracellular histones mediate organ injury (lung, liver), sepsis physiology, thrombocytopenia and thrombin generation and some proteins can bind histones and reduce these potentially harmful effects.

Effects of Stress, Reactive Oxygen Species, and the SOS Response on De Novo Acquisition of Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli.

Strategies to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria are needed to reduce the threat of infectious diseases to human health. The de novo acquisition of resistance due to mutations and/or phenotypic adaptation occurs rapidly as a result of interactions of gene expression and mutations (N. Handel, J. M. Schuurmans, Y. Feng, S. Brul, and B. H. Ter Kuile, Antimicrob Agents Chemother 58:4371-4379, 2014, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AAC.02892-14). In this study, the contribution of several individual genes to the de novo acquisition of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli was investigated using mutants with deletions of genes known to be involved in antibiotic resistance. The results indicate that recA, vital for the SOS response, plays a crucial role in the development of antibiotic resistance. Likewise, deletion of global transcriptional regulators, such as gadE or soxS, involved in pH homeostasis and superoxide removal, respectively, can slow the acquisition of resistance to a degree depending on the antibiotic. Deletion of the transcriptional regulator soxS, involved in superoxide removal, slowed the acquisition of resistance to enrofloxacin. Acquisition of resistance occurred at a lower rate in the presence of a second stress factor, such as a lowered pH or increased salt concentration, than in the presence of optimal growth conditions. The overall outcome suggests that a central cellular mechanism is crucial for the development of resistance and that genes involved in the regulation of transcription play an essential role. The actual cellular response, however, depends on the class of antibiotic in combination with environmental conditions.

Arginine-rich histones have strong antiviral activity for influenza A viruses.

While histones are best known for DNA binding and transcription-regulating properties, they also have antimicrobial activity against a broad range of potentially pathogenic organisms. Histones are abundant in neutrophil extracellular traps, where they play an important role in NET-mediated antimicrobial killing. Here, we show anti-influenza activity of histones against both seasonal H3N2 and H1N1, but not pandemic H1N1. The arginine rich histones, H3 and H4, had greater neutralizing and viral aggregating activity than the lysine rich histones, H2A and H2B. Of all core histones, histone H4 is most potent in neutralizing IAV, and incubation with IAV with histone H4 results in a decrease in uptake and viral replication by epithelial cells when measured by qRT-PCR. The antiviral activity of histone H4 is mediated principally by direct effects on viral particles. Histone H4 binds to IAV as assessed by ELISA and co-sedimentation of H4 with IAV. H4 also induces aggregation, as assessed by confocal microscopy and light transmission assays. Despite strong antiviral activity against the seasonal IAV strains, H4 was inactive against pandemic H1N1. These findings indicate a possible role for histones in the innate immune response against IAV.