Role of internal loop dynamics in antibiotic permeability of outer membrane porins.

Gram-negative bacteria pose a serious public health concern due to resistance to many antibiotics, caused by the low permeability of their outer membrane (OM). Effective antibiotics use porins in the OM to reach the interior of the cell; thus, understanding permeation properties of OM porins is instrumental to rationally develop broad-spectrum antibiotics. A functionally important feature of OM porins is undergoing open-closed transitions that modulate their transport properties. To characterize the molecular basis of these transitions, we performed an extensive set of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Escherichia coli OM porin OmpF. Markov-state analysis revealed that large-scale motion of an internal loop, L3, underlies the transition between energetically stable open and closed states. The conformation of L3 is controlled by H bonds between highly conserved acidic residues on the loop and basic residues on the OmpF ß-barrel. Mutation of key residues important for the loop's conformation shifts the equilibrium between open and closed states and regulates translocation of permeants (ions and antibiotics), as observed in the simulations and validated by our whole-cell accumulation assay. Notably, one mutant system G119D, which we find to favor the closed state, has been reported in clinically resistant bacterial strains. Overall, our accumulated ∼200 µs of simulation data (the wild type and mutants) along with experimental assays suggest the involvement of internal loop dynamics in permeability of OM porins and antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria.

Determining the Orientation of Porins in Planar Lipid Bilayers.

Single-channel planar lipid bilayer (PLB) recording of bacterial porins has revealed molecular details of transport across the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, including antibiotic permeation and protein translocation. To explore directional transport processes across cellular membranes, the orientation of porins or other pore-forming proteins must be established in a lipid bilayer prior to experimentation. Here, we describe a direct method for determining the orientation of porins in a PLB-with a focus on E. coli OmpF-by using targeted covalent modification of cysteine mutants. Each of the two possible orientations can be correlated with the porin conductance asymmetry, such that thereafter an I-V curve taken at the start of an experiment will suffice to establish orientation.

Characterizing the role of porin mutations in susceptibility of beta lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftaroline and ceftaroline-avibactam.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the role of porins in the susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae to ceftaroline and ceftaroline-avibactam. METHODS: Susceptibility to ceftaroline and ceftaroline-avibactam was tested by broth microdilution method in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates (n = 65), including isogenic mutants (n = 30) and clinical isolates (n = 35), with different outer membrane porin defects in the presence or absence of beta lactamases. RESULTS: Ceftaroline exhibited excellent activity against all the isogenic porin mutants with a MIC range of 0.125-0.25 µg/ml. Ceftaroline showed limited activity in the presence of extended spectrum ß-lactamase enzymes in isogenic mutant constructs as expected but regained effectiveness in combination with avibactam against these isolates except those carrying metallo-carbapenemase (IMP-4) with an MIC range of 0.25->32 µg/ml. Ceftaroline-avibactam was able to inhibit 86% of the clinical isolates (n = 35) of Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying porin defects and multiple beta lactamases with only four isolates showing raised MICs against the combination (MIC range 0.125-4 µg/ml). One clinical isolate with IMP-4 carbapenemase had an MIC value of >32 µg/ml. CONCLUSION: Outer membrane porins play a key role in the transport of ceftaroline inKlebsiella pneumoniae but it remains effective in isolates with altered permeability due to common porin mutations. The addition of avibactam substantially enhances the potency of ceftaroline providing an effective remedy to the problem of omnipresent beta lactamases in these bacteria.

First detected OXA-50 carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Bulgaria and interplay between the expression of main efflux pumps, OprD and intrinsic AmpC.

Introduction. Carbapenems are often described as the most effective weapon against infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria especially those belonging to the group of non-fermenting bacteria such as Pseudomonas. The main mechanisms leading to resistance are the hyperexpression of certain efflux pumps belonging to the resisto-nodular division and the lower expression of the transmembrane porin OprD, sometimes in combination with excessive production of the intrinsic AmpC. Carbapenemases are assumed to play a secondary role.Aim. The aim of this study was to determine the exact mechanisms of carbapenem resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from the largest Bulgarian University hospital 'St. George'- Plovdiv.Methodology. A total of 32 clinical isolates collected from different patients' samples resistant to imipenem and/or meropenem were examined via phenotypic and molecular-genetic tests.Results. No metallo-enzyme production was detected. Three isolates were positive for OXA-50-encoding genes in two of them in combination with other oxacillinases or the bla VEB-1 gene. For the first time, OXA-50-producing P. aeruginosa have been reported in Bulgaria. The increased expression or hyperexpression of MexXY-OprM efflux pump was observed as the main mechanism of resistance. In most cases, it was combined with lower expression or lack of OprD with or without MexAB-OprM hyperexpression. No excessive production of AmpC was detected in comparison to the reference ATCC 27853 P. aeruginosa strain.Conclusion. The increased expression or overexpression of MexXY-OprM efflux pumps is the leading cause of carbapenem resistance in our isolates Pseudomonas, detected in 94 % of the bacteria investigated.

Manipulation of charge distribution in the arginine and glutamate clusters of the OmpG pore alters sugar specificity and ion selectivity.

OmpG is a general diffusion pore in the E. coli outer membrane with a molecular architecture comprising a 14-stranded ß-barrel scaffold and unique structural features. In contrast to other non-specific porins, OmpG lacks a central constriction zone and has an exceptionally wide pore diameter of about 13 Å. The equatorial plane of OmpG harbors an annulus of four alternating basic and acidic patches whose function is only poorly characterized. We have investigated the role of charge distribution for ion selectivity and sugar transport with the help of OmpG variants mutated in the annulus. Substituting the glutamate residues of the annulus for histidines or alanines led to a strong reduction in cation selectivity. Replacement of the glutamates in the annulus by histidine residues also disfavored the passage of pentoses and hexoses relative to disaccharides. Our results demonstrate that despite the wide pore diameter, an annulus only consisting of two opposing basic patches confers reduced cation and monosaccharide transport compared to OmpG wild type. Furthermore, randomization of charged residues in the annulus had the potential to abolish pH-dependency of sugar transport. Our results indicate that E15, E31, R92, R111 and R211 in the annulus form electrostatic interactions with R228, E229 and D232 in loop L6 that influence pH-dependency of sugar transport.

Role of outer membrane permeability, efflux mechanism, and carbapenemases in carbapenem-nonsusceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Dubai hospitals: Results of the first cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: Carbapenem resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is growing and results from variable mechanisms. The objectives of the current study were to investigate mechanisms of carbapenem resistance and genetic relatedness of P. aeruginosa isolates recovered in Dubai hospitals. METHODS: From June 2015 through June 2016, carbapenem-nonsusceptible P. aeruginosa were collected from 4 hospitals in Dubai, and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, molecular investigation of carbapenemases by PCR-sequencing, analysis of outer membrane porin OprD2 and multidrug efflux channel MexAB-OprM levels by qPCR, and fingerprinting by ERIC-PCR. RESULTS: Out of 1969 P. aeruginosa isolated during the study period, 471 (23.9%) showed reduced carbapenem susceptibility. Of these, 37 were analyzed and 32% of them produced VIM-type metallo-ß-lactamases, including VIM-2, VIM-30, VIM-31, and VIM-42, while GES-5 and GES-9 co-existed with VIM in 5.4% of isolates. Outer membrane impermeability was observed in 73% of isolates and 75.6% displayed overproduced MexAB-OprM. ERIC-PCR revealed one large clone including most carbapenemase-producing isolates indicating clonal dissemination. CONCLUSION: This is the first study on carbapenem-nonsusceptible P. aeruginosa from Dubai, incriminating VIM production as well as outer membrane permeability and efflux systems as resistance mechanisms. Further studies on carbapenem-nonsusceptible P. aeruginosa in Dubai are warranted for containment of such health hazard.

Interaction of viral pathogen with porin channels on the outer membrane of insect bacterial symbionts mediates their joint transovarial transmission.

Many hemipteran insects that can transmit plant viruses in a persistent and transovarial manner are generally associated with a common obligate bacterial symbiont Sulcia and its ß-proteobacterial partner. Rice dwarf virus (RDV), a plant reovirus, can bind to the envelope of Sulcia through direct interaction of the viral minor outer capsid protein P2 with the bacterial outer membrane protein, allowing the virus to exploit the ancient oocyte entry path of Sulcia in rice leafhopper vectors. Here, we show that RDV can hitchhike with both Sulcia and its ß-proteobacterial partner Nasuia to ensure their simultaneous transovarial transmission. Interestingly, RDV can move through the outer envelope of Nasuia and reside in the periplasmic space, which is mediated by the specific interaction of the viral major outer capsid protein P8 and the porin channel on the bacterial outer envelope. Nasuia porin-specific antibody efficiently interferes with the binding between RDV and the Nasuia envelope, thus strongly preventing viral transmission to insect offspring. Thus, RDV has evolved different strategies to exploit the ancient oocyte entry paths used by two obligate bacterial symbionts in rice leafhoppers. Our results thus reveal that RDV has formed complex, cooperative interactions with both Sulcia and Nasuia during their joint transovarial transmission. This article is part of the theme issue 'Biotic signalling sheds light on smart pest management'.

Host adaptation and convergent evolution increases antibiotic resistance without loss of virulence in a major human pathogen.

As human population density and antibiotic exposure increase, specialised bacterial subtypes have begun to emerge. Arising among species that are common commensals and infrequent pathogens, antibiotic-resistant 'high-risk clones' have evolved to better survive in the modern human. Here, we show that the major matrix porin (OmpK35) of Klebsiella pneumoniae is not required in the mammalian host for colonisation, pathogenesis, nor for antibiotic resistance, and that it is commonly absent in pathogenic isolates. This is found in association with, but apparently independent of, a highly specific change in the co-regulated partner porin, the osmoporin (OmpK36), which provides enhanced antibiotic resistance without significant loss of fitness in the mammalian host. These features are common in well-described 'high-risk clones' of K. pneumoniae, as well as in unrelated members of this species and similar adaptations are found in other members of the Enterobacteriaceae that share this lifestyle. Available sequence data indicate evolutionary convergence, with implications for the spread of lethal antibiotic-resistant pathogens in humans.

TMC1 Forms the Pore of Mechanosensory Transduction Channels in Vertebrate Inner Ear Hair Cells.

The proteins that form the permeation pathway of mechanosensory transduction channels in inner-ear hair cells have not been definitively identified. Genetic, anatomical, and physiological evidence support a role for transmembrane channel-like protein (TMC) 1 in hair cell sensory transduction, yet the molecular function of TMC proteins remains unclear. Here, we provide biochemical evidence suggesting TMC1 assembles as a dimer, along with structural and sequence analyses suggesting similarity to dimeric TMEM16 channels. To identify the pore region of TMC1, we used cysteine mutagenesis and expressed mutant TMC1 in hair cells of Tmc1/2-null mice. Cysteine-modification reagents rapidly and irreversibly altered permeation properties of mechanosensory transduction. We propose that TMC1 is structurally similar to TMEM16 channels and includes ten transmembrane domains with four domains, S4-S7, that line the channel pore. The data provide compelling evidence that TMC1 is a pore-forming component of sensory transduction channels in auditory and vestibular hair cells.

Development of an On-Chip Antibiotic Permeability Assay With Single Molecule Detection Capability.

Electrophysiology is the method of choice to characterize membrane channels. In this paper, we demonstrate a patch pipette based simple miniaturization that allows performing conductance measurements on a planar lipid bilayer in a microfluidic channel. Membrane proteins were reconstituted into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) by electroswelling, and GUVs with a single channel insertion were patched at the tip of pipette. We applied this approach to investigate the interactions of porins from E.coli with single antibiotics, and this will potentially provide information on the permeability rates. The results of this paper suggest that this approach can be extended to the integration of several pipettes into the microfluidic channel from different positions, allowing the multiplexed recordings and also reducing the substrate consumption below volumes.

A Legionella pneumophila amylase is essential for intracellular replication in human macrophages and amoebae.

Legionella pneumophila invades protozoa with an "accidental" ability to cause pneumonia upon transmission to humans. To support its nutrition during intracellular residence, L. pneumophila relies on host amino acids as the main source of carbon and energy to feed the TCA cycle. Despite the apparent lack of a requirement for glucose for L. pneumophila growth in vitro and intracellularly, the organism contains multiple amylases, which hydrolyze polysaccharides into glucose monomers. Here we describe one predicted putative amylase, LamB, which is uniquely present only in L. pneumophila and L. steigerwaltii among the ~60 species of Legionella. Our data show that LamB has a strong amylase activity, which is abolished upon substitutions of amino acids that are conserved in the catalytic pocket of amylases. Loss of LamB or expression of catalytically-inactive variants of LamB results in a severe growth defect of L. pneumophila in Acanthamoeba polyphaga and human monocytes-derived macrophages. Importantly, the lamB null mutant is severely attenuated in intra-pulmonary proliferation in the mouse model and is defective in dissemination to the liver and spleen. Our data show an essential role for LamB in intracellular replication of L. pneumophila in amoeba and human macrophages and in virulence in vivo.

Functional characterization of an N-terminally-truncated mitochondrial porin expressed in Neurospora crassa.

Mitochondrial porin, which forms voltage-dependent anion-selective channels (VDAC) in the outer membrane, can be folded into a 19-ß-stranded barrel. The N terminus of the protein is external to the barrel and contains α-helical structure. Targeted modifications of the N-terminal region have been assessed in artificial membranes, leading to different models for gating in vitro. However, the in vivo requirements for gating and the N-terminal segment of porin are less well-understood. Using Neurospora crassa porin as a model, the effects of a partial deletion of the N-terminal segment were investigated. The protein, ΔN2-12porin, is assembled into the outer membrane, albeit at lower levels than the wild-type protein. The resulting strain displays electron transport chain deficiencies, concomitant expression of alternative oxidase, and decreased growth rates. Nonetheless, its mitochondrial genome does not contain any significant mutations. Most of the genes that are expressed in high levels in porin-less N. crassa are expressed at levels similar to that of wild type or are slightly increased in ΔN2-12porin strains. Thus, although the N-terminal segment of VDAC is required for complete function in vivo, low levels of a protein lacking part of the N terminus are able to rescue some of the defects associated with the absence of porin.

Functional role of ompF and ompC porins in pathogenesis of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli.

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli is an important pathogen causes systemic infections in avian species and large economic losses in poultry industry worldwide. The functional role of porins during the infection and their mechanisms of interaction with host tissues for adhesion to and invasion are poorly understood. However, whether porins play a role in infection remains unclear. In this study we evaluated the potential of ompF and ompC outer membrane porins in the pathogenesis of avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) strain TW-XM. The ompF and ompC were deleted to generate a series of mutants. We found that, ΔompF and ΔompC reduced significantly the adherence by 41.3% and 46.1% and invasion capabilities of APEC to mouse brain microvascular endothelial cell (BMEC) bEnd.3 cells in vitro by 51.9% and 49.7% respectively, compared with the wild strain TW-XM. In vivo experiment based on the measurement of the LD50 have also shown that, ΔompF and ΔompC reduced the bacterial virulence by 9.8-fold, 12.3-fold in ducklings and 9-fold, 10.2-fold in mouse models. Animal infection experiments further revealed that, loss of ompF and ompC reduced TW-XM colonization and invasion capacity in brains, lungs and blood compared to wild-type strain TW-XM (P > 0.01). These virulence-related phenotypes were partially recoverable by genetic complementation. The results of the quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) indicated that, the loss of ompF and ompC significantly decreased the expression levels of ompA, fimC and iBeA genes in the mutant strains, compared to wild-type strainTW-XM (P < 0.01). Collectively, our data demonstrate that inactivation of these two porins decreased adhesion, invasion, colonization, proliferation capacities, possibly by reduced expression levels of ompA, fimC and iBeA, which may indicate the involvement of ompF and ompC in APEC pathogenesis.

In Silico Structure and Sequence Analysis of Bacterial Porins and Specific Diffusion Channels for Hydrophilic Molecules: Conservation, Multimericity and Multifunctionality.

Diffusion channels are involved in the selective uptake of nutrients and form the largest outer membrane protein (OMP) family in Gram-negative bacteria. Differences in pore size and amino acid composition contribute to the specificity. Structure-based multiple sequence alignments shed light on the structure-function relations for all eight subclasses. Entropy-variability analysis results are correlated to known structural and functional aspects, such as structural integrity, multimericity, specificity and biological niche adaptation. The high mutation rate in their surface-exposed loops is likely an important mechanism for host immune system evasion. Multiple sequence alignments for each subclass revealed conserved residue positions that are involved in substrate recognition and specificity. An analysis of monomeric protein channels revealed particular sequence patterns of amino acids that were observed in other classes at multimeric interfaces. This adds to the emerging evidence that all members of the family exist in a multimeric state. Our findings are important for understanding the role of members of this family in a wide range of bacterial processes, including bacterial food uptake, survival and adaptation mechanisms.

Hetero-oligomeric MspA pores in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

The porin MspA of Mycobacterium smegmatis is a biological nanopore used for DNA sequencing. The octameric MspA pore can be isolated from M. smegmatis in milligram quantities, is extremely stable against denaturation and rapidly inserts into lipid membranes. Here, we show that MspA pores composed of different Msp subunits are formed in M. smegmatis and that hetero-oligomers of different Msp monomers increase the heterogeneity of MspA pores designed for DNA sequencing. To improve the quality of preparations of mutant MspA proteins, all four msp genes were deleted from the M. smegmatis genome after insertion of an inducible porin gene from M. tuberculosis. In the msp quadruple mutant M. smegmatis ML712 no Msp porins were detected and mutant MspA proteins were produced at wild-type levels. Lipid bilayer experiments demonstrated that MspA pores isolated from ML712 formed functional channels and had a narrower conductance distribution than pores purified from M. smegmatis with background msp expression. Thus, the M. smegmatis msp quadruple mutant improves the homogeneity of MspA pores designed for DNA sequencing and might also facilitate the identification and functional characterization of other mycobacterial pore proteins.

Porphyromonas gingivalis and related bacteria: from colonial pigmentation to the type IX secretion system and gliding motility.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a gram-negative, non-motile, anaerobic bacterium implicated as a major pathogen in periodontal disease. P. gingivalis grows as black-pigmented colonies on blood agar, and many bacteriologists have shown interest in this property. Studies of colonial pigmentation have revealed a number of important findings, including an association with the highly active extracellular and surface proteinases called gingipains that are found in P. gingivalis. The Por secretion system, a novel type IX secretion system (T9SS), has been implicated in gingipain secretion in studies using non-pigmented mutants. In addition, many potent virulence proteins, including the metallocarboxypeptidase CPG70, 35 kDa hemin-binding protein HBP35, peptidylarginine deiminase PAD and Lys-specific serine endopeptidase PepK, are secreted through the T9SS. These findings have not been limited to P. gingivalis but have been extended to other bacteria belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes. Many Bacteroidetes species possess the T9SS, which is associated with gliding motility for some of these bacteria.

High salt concentrations increase permeability through OmpC channels of Escherichia coli.

OmpF and OmpC porin channels are responsible for the passage of small hydrophilic solutes across the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. Although these channels are two of the most extensively studied porin channels, what had yet remained elusive was the reason why OmpC shows markedly lower permeability than OmpF, despite having little difference in its channel size. The OmpC channel, however, is known to contain a larger number of ionizable residues than the OmpF channel. In this study, we examined the channel property of OmpF and OmpC using the intact cell of E. coli, and we found that the permeability of several ß-lactams and lactose through OmpC became increased to the level comparable with OmpF with up to 0.3 m salt that may increase the Debye-Hückel shielding or with 2% ethanol or 0.3 m urea that may perturb the short range ordering of water molecules. Replacing 10 pore-lining residues that show different ionization behavior between OmpC and OmpF led to substantial conversion of channel property with respect to their permeability and response to external salt concentration. We thus propose that the overall configuration of ionizable residues in the channel that may orient water molecules and the electrostatic profile of the channel play a decisive role in defining the channel property of the OmpC porin rather than its channel size.

Inhibition of the alternative pathway of nonhuman infant complement by porin B2 contributes to virulence of Neisseria meningitidis in the infant rat model.

Neisseria meningitidis utilizes capsular polysaccharide, lipooligosaccharide (LOS) sialic acid, factor H binding protein (fHbp), and neisserial surface protein A (NspA) to regulate the alternative pathway (AP) of complement. Using meningococcal mutants that lacked all four of the above-mentioned molecules (quadruple mutants), we recently identified a role for PorB2 in attenuating the human AP; inhibition was mediated by human fH, a key downregulatory protein of the AP. Previous studies showed that fH downregulation of the AP via fHbp or NspA is specific for human fH. Here, we report that PorB2-expressing quadruple mutants also regulate the AP of baby rabbit and infant rat complement. Blocking a human fH binding region on PorB2 of the quadruple mutant of strain 4243 with a chimeric protein that comprised human fH domains 6 and 7 fused to murine IgG Fc enhanced AP-mediated baby rabbit C3 deposition, which provided evidence for an fH-dependent mechanism of nonhuman AP regulation by PorB2. Using isogenic mutants of strain H44/76 that differed only in their PorB molecules, we confirmed a role for PorB2 in resistance to killing by infant rat serum. The PorB2-expressing strain also caused higher levels of bacteremia in infant rats than its isogenic PorB3-expressing counterpart, thus providing a molecular basis for increased survival of PorB2 isolates in this model. These studies link PorB2 expression with infection of infant rats, which could inform the choice of meningococcal strains for use in animal models, and reveals, for the first time, that PorB2-expressing strains of N. meningitidis regulate the AP of baby rabbits and rats.

Investigating the link between imipenem resistance and biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a ubiquitous environmental organism, is a difficult-to-treat opportunistic pathogen due to its broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance and its ability to form biofilms. In this study, we investigate the link between resistance to a clinically important antibiotic, imipenem, and biofilm formation. First, we observed that the laboratory strain P. aeruginosa PAO1 carrying a mutation in the oprD gene, which confers resistance to imipenem, showed a modest reduction in biofilm formation. We also observed an inverse relationship between imipenem resistance and biofilm formation for imipenem-resistant strains selected in vitro, as well as for clinical isolates. We identified two clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa from the sputum of cystic fibrosis patients that formed robust biofilms, but were sensitive to imipenem (MIC ≤ 2 µg/ml). To test the hypothesis that there is a general link between imipenem resistance and biofilm formation, we performed transposon mutagenesis of these two clinical strains to identify mutants defective in biofilm formation, and then tested these mutants for imipenem resistance. Analysis of the transposon mutants revealed a role for previously described biofilm factors in these clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa, including mutations in the pilY1, pilX, pilW, algC, and pslI genes, but none of the biofilm-deficient mutants became imipenem resistant (MIC ≥ 8 µg/ml), arguing against a general link between biofilm formation and resistance to imipenem. Thus, assessing biofilm formation capabilities of environmental isolates is unlikely to serve as a good predictor of imipenem resistance. We also discuss our findings in light of the limited literature addressing planktonic antibiotic resistance factors that impact biofilm formation.