Miltefosine Reduces the Cytolytic Activity and Virulence of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Stagnation in antimicrobial development has led to a serious threat to public health because some Acinetobacter baumannii infections have become untreatable. New therapeutics with alternative mechanisms of action to combat A. baumannii are therefore necessary to treat these infections. To this end, the virulence of A. baumannii isolates with various antimicrobial susceptibilities was assessed when the isolates were treated with miltefosine, a phospholipase C inhibitor. Phospholipase C activity is a contributor to A. baumannii virulence associated with hemolysis, cytolysis of A549 human alveolar epithelial cells, and increased mortality in the Galleria mellonella experimental infection model. While the effects on bacterial growth were variable among strains, miltefosine treatment significantly reduced both the hemolytic and cytolytic activity of all treated A. baumannii strains. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy of polarized A549 cells infected with bacteria of the A. baumannii ATCC 19606T strain or the AB5075 multidrug-resistant isolate showed a decrease in A549 cell damage with a concomitant increase in the presence of A549 surfactant upon administration of miltefosine. The therapeutic ability of miltefosine was further supported by the results of G. mellonella infections, wherein miltefosine treatment of animals infected with ATCC 19606T significantly decreased mortality. These data demonstrate that inhibition of phospholipase C activity results in the overall reduction of A. baumannii virulence in both in vitro and in vivo models, making miltefosine a viable option for the treatment of A. baumannii infections, particularly those caused by multidrug-resistant isolates.

Role of the carboxy terminus of SecA in iron acquisition, protein translocation, and virulence of the bacterial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative opportunistic nosocomial pathogen that causes pneumonia and soft tissue and systemic infections. Screening of a transposon insertion library of A. baumannii ATCC 19606T resulted in the identification of the 2010 derivative, which, although capable of growing well in iron-rich media, failed to prosper under iron chelation. Genetic, molecular, and functional assays showed that 2010's iron utilization-deficient phenotype is due to an insertion within the 3' end of secA, which results in the production of a C-terminally truncated derivative of SecA. SecA plays a critical role in protein translocation through the SecYEG membrane channel. Accordingly, the secA mutation resulted in undetectable amounts of the ferric acinetobactin outer membrane receptor protein BauA while not affecting the production of other acinetobactin membrane protein transport components, such as BauB and BauE, or the secretion of acinetobactin by 2010 cells cultured in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of the synthetic iron chelator 2,2'-dipyridyl. Outer membrane proteins involved in nutrient transport, adherence, and biofilm formation were also reduced in 2010. The SecA truncation also increased production of 30 different proteins, including proteins involved in adaptation/tolerance responses. Although some of these protein changes could negatively affect the pathobiology of the 2010 derivative, its virulence defect is mainly due to its inability to acquire iron via the acinetobactin-mediated system. These results together indicate that although the C terminus of the A. baumannii ATCC 19606T SecA is not essential for viability, it plays a critical role in the production and translocation of different proteins and virulence.

Inhibition of AAC(6')-Ib-mediated resistance to amikacin in Acinetobacter baumannii by an antisense peptide-conjugated 2',4'-bridged nucleic acid-NC-DNA hybrid oligomer.

Multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii, a common etiologic agent of severe nosocomial infections in compromised hosts, usually harbors aac(6')-Ib. This gene specifies resistance to amikacin and other aminoglycosides, seriously limiting the effectiveness of these antibiotics. An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN4) that binds to a duplicated sequence on the aac(6')-Ib mRNA, one of the copies overlapping the initiation codon, efficiently inhibited translation in vitro. An isosequential nuclease-resistant hybrid oligomer composed of 2',4'-bridged nucleic acid-NC (BNA(NC)) residues and deoxynucleotides (BNA(NC)-DNA) conjugated to the permeabilizing peptide (RXR)4XB ("X" and "B" stand for 6-aminohexanoic acid and ß-alanine, respectively) (CPPBD4) inhibited translation in vitro at the same levels observed in testing ODN4. Furthermore, CPPBD4 in combination with amikacin inhibited growth of a clinical A. baumannii strain harboring aac(6')-Ib in liquid cultures, and when both compounds were used as combination therapy to treat infected Galleria mellonella organisms, survival was comparable to that seen with uninfected controls.

Antimicrobial Activity of Gallium Protoporphyrin IX against Acinetobacter baumannii Strains Displaying Different Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes.

A paucity of effective, currently available antibiotics and a lull in antibiotic development pose significant challenges for treatment of patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii infections. Thus, novel therapeutic strategies must be evaluated to meet the demands of treatment of these often life-threatening infections. Accordingly, we examined the antibiotic activity of gallium protoporphyrin IX (Ga-PPIX) against a collection of A. baumannii strains, including nonmilitary and military strains and strains representing different clonal lineages and isolates classified as susceptible or MDR. Susceptibility testing demonstrated that Ga-PPIX inhibits the growth of all tested strains when cultured in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth, with a MIC of 20 µg/ml. This concentration significantly reduced bacterial viability, while 40 µg/ml killed all cells of the A. baumannii ATCC 19606(T) and ACICU MDR isolate after 24-h incubation. Recovery of ATCC 19606(T) and ACICU strains from infected A549 human alveolar epithelial monolayers was also decreased when the medium was supplemented with Ga-PPIX, particularly at a 40-µg/ml concentration. Similarly, the coinjection of bacteria with Ga-PPIX increased the survival of Galleria mellonella larvae infected with ATCC 19606(T) or ACICU. Ga-PPIX was cytotoxic only when monolayers or larvae were exposed to concentrations 16-fold and 1,250-fold higher than those showing antibacterial activity, respectively. These results indicate that Ga-PPIX could be a viable therapeutic option for treatment of recalcitrant A. baumannii infections regardless of the resistance phenotype, clone lineage, time and site of isolation of strains causing these infections and their iron uptake phenotypes or the iron content of the media.

Discovery and Characterization of New Hydroxamate Siderophores, Baumannoferrin A and B, produced by Acinetobacter baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii AYE does not produce acinetobactin but grows under iron limitation. Accordingly, analyses of AYE iron-restricted culture supernatants resulted in the isolation of two fractions, which contained only hydroxamates and showed siderophore activity. Structural analyses identified baumannoferrin A and baumannoferrin B, which differ only by a double bond. These siderophores are composed of citrate, 1,3-diaminopropane, 2,4-diaminobutyrate, decenoic acid, and α-ketoglutarate. Analysis of the AYE genome showed the presence of a 12-gene cluster coding for proteins similar to those involved in the production and utilization of the hydroxamate siderophores acinetoferrin and achromobactin. As A. baumannii AYE does not produce acinetobactin and harbors only one gene cluster encoding the production and utilization of a siderophore, this strain's growth under iron limitation depends on baumannoferrin, a novel hydroxamate that could play a role in its virulence.

Isolation and characterization of a tetramethylammonium-degrading Methanococcoides strain and a novel glycine betaine-utilizing Methanolobus strain.

Two novel strains of methanogens were isolated from an estuarine sediment with the capability to utilize quaternary amines. Based on the 16S rRNA analysis, strain B1d shared 99 % sequence identity with Methanolobus vulcani PL-12/M(T) and strain Q3c shared 99 % identity with Methanococcoides sp. PM1 and PM2, but our current isolates display clearly different capabilities of growth on quaternary amines and were isolated based on these capabilities. Strain Q3c was capable of growth on tetramethylammonium and choline, while strain B1d was capable of growth on glycine betaine. Ml. vulcani PL-12/M(T) was incapable of growth on glycine betaine, indicating an obvious distinction between strains B1d and PL-12/M(T). Strain Q3c now represents the only known tetramethylammonium-utilizing methanogen in isolation. Strain B1d is the first quaternary amine-utilizing methanogen from the genus Methanolobus. This study suggests that quaternary amines may serve as ready precursors of biological methane production in marine environments.

Functional features of TonB energy transduction systems of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes severe nosocomial infections. Strain ATCC 19606(T) utilizes the siderophore acinetobactin to acquire iron under iron-limiting conditions encountered in the host. Accordingly, the genome of this strain has three tonB genes encoding proteins for energy transduction functions needed for the active transport of nutrients, including iron, through the outer membrane. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that these tonB genes, which are present in the genomes of all sequenced A. baumannii strains, were acquired from different sources. Two of these genes occur as components of tonB-exbB-exbD operons and one as a monocistronic copy; all are actively transcribed in ATCC 19606(T). The abilities of components of these TonB systems to complement the growth defect of Escherichia coli W3110 mutants KP1344 (tonB) and RA1051 (exbBD) under iron-chelated conditions further support the roles of these TonB systems in iron acquisition. Mutagenesis analysis of ATCC 19606(T) tonB1 (subscripted numbers represent different copies of genes or proteins) and tonB2 supports this hypothesis: their inactivation results in growth defects in iron-chelated media, without affecting acinetobactin biosynthesis or the production of the acinetobactin outer membrane receptor protein BauA. In vivo assays using Galleria mellonella show that each TonB protein is involved in, but not essential for, bacterial virulence in this infection model. Furthermore, we observed that TonB2 plays a role in the ability of bacteria to bind to fibronectin and to adhere to A549 cells by uncharacterized mechanisms. Taken together, these results indicate that A. baumannii ATCC 19606(T) produces three independent TonB proteins, which appear to provide the energy-transducing functions needed for iron acquisition and cellular processes that play a role in the virulence of this pathogen.

Stress response and virulence functions of the Acinetobacter baumannii NfuA Fe-S scaffold protein.

To successfully establish an infection, Acinetobacter baumannii must overcome the iron starvation and oxidative stress imposed by the human host. Although previous studies have shown that ATCC 19606(T) cells acquire iron via the acinetobactin-mediated siderophore system, little is known about intracellular iron metabolism and its relation to oxidative stress in this pathogen. Screening of an insertion library resulted in the isolation of the ATCC 19606(T) derivative 1644, which was unable to grow in iron-chelated media. Rescue cloning and DNA sequencing showed that the insertion inactivated a gene coding for an NfuA Fe-S cluster protein ortholog, without any effect on the expression of the acinetobactin system. The nfuA mutant was also more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and cumene hydroperoxide than the parental strain. The iron chelation- and oxidative-stress-deficient responses of this mutant were corrected when complemented with either the ATCC 19606(T) parental allele or the Escherichia coli MG1655 nfuA ortholog. Furthermore, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) analyses showed that the ATCC 19606(T) NfuA ortholog has iron-binding properties compatible with the formation of [Fe-S] cluster protein. Ex vivo and in vivo assays using human epithelial cells and Galleria mellonella, respectively, showed that NfuA is critical for bacterial growth independent of their capacity to acquire iron or the presence of excess of free iron. Taken together, these observations indicate that the A. baumannii NfuA ortholog plays a role in intracellular iron utilization and protection from oxidative-stress responses that this pathogen could encounter during the infection of the human host.

Role of acinetobactin-mediated iron acquisition functions in the interaction of Acinetobacter baumannii strain ATCC 19606T with human lung epithelial cells, Galleria mellonella caterpillars, and mice.

Acinetobacter baumannii, which causes serious infections in immunocompromised patients, expresses high-affinity iron acquisition functions needed for growth under iron-limiting laboratory conditions. In this study, we determined that the initial interaction of the ATCC 19606(T) type strain with A549 human alveolar epithelial cells is independent of the production of BasD and BauA, proteins needed for acinetobactin biosynthesis and transport, respectively. In contrast, these proteins are required for this strain to persist within epithelial cells and cause their apoptotic death. Infection assays using Galleria mellonella larvae showed that impairment of acinetobactin biosynthesis and transport functions significantly reduces the ability of ATCC 19606(T) cells to persist and kill this host, a defect that was corrected by adding inorganic iron to the inocula. The results obtained with these ex vivo and in vivo approaches were validated using a mouse sepsis model, which showed that expression of the acinetobactin-mediated iron acquisition system is critical for ATCC 19606(T) to establish an infection and kill this vertebrate host. These observations demonstrate that the virulence of the ATCC 19606(T) strain depends on the expression of a fully active acinetobactin-mediated system. Interestingly, the three models also showed that impairment of BasD production results in an intermediate virulence phenotype compared to those of the parental strain and the BauA mutant. This observation suggests that acinetobactin intermediates or precursors play a virulence role, although their contribution to iron acquisition is less relevant than that of mature acinetobactin.

The inside scoop: Comparative genomics of two intranuclear bacteria, "Candidatus Berkiella cookevillensis" and "Candidatus Berkiella aquae".

"Candidatus Berkiella cookevillensis" (strain CC99) and "Candidatus Berkiella aquae" (strain HT99), belonging to the Coxiellaceae family, are gram-negative bacteria isolated from amoebae in biofilms present in human-constructed water systems. Both bacteria are obligately intracellular, requiring host cells for growth and replication. The intracellular bacteria-containing vacuoles of both bacteria closely associate with or enter the nuclei of their host cells. In this study, we analyzed the genome sequences of CC99 and HT99 to better understand their biology and intracellular lifestyles. The CC99 genome has a size of 2.9Mb (37.9% GC) and contains 2,651 protein-encoding genes (PEGs) while the HT99 genome has a size of 3.6Mb (39.4% GC) and contains 3,238 PEGs. Both bacteria encode high proportions of hypothetical proteins (CC99: 46.5%; HT99: 51.3%). The central metabolic pathways of both bacteria appear largely intact. Genes for enzymes involved in the glycolytic pathway, the non-oxidative branch of the phosphate pathway, the tricarboxylic acid pathway, and the respiratory chain were present. Both bacteria, however, are missing genes for the synthesis of several amino acids, suggesting reliance on their host for amino acids and intermediates. Genes for type I and type IV (dot/icm) secretion systems as well as type IV pili were identified in both bacteria. Moreover, both bacteria contain genes encoding large numbers of putative effector proteins, including several with eukaryotic-like domains such as, ankyrin repeats, tetratricopeptide repeats, and leucine-rich repeats, characteristic of other intracellular bacteria.

Two Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates Obtained From a Fatal Necrotizing Fasciitis Infection Display Distinct Genomic and Phenotypic Characteristics in Comparison to Type Strains.

Acinetobacter baumannii has been recognized as a critical pathogen that causes severe infections worldwide not only because of the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) derivatives, but also because of its ability to persist in medical environments and colonize compromised patients. While there are numerous reports describing the mechanisms by which this pathogen acquires resistance genes, little is known regarding A. baumannii's virulence functions associated with rare manifestations of infection such as necrotizing fasciitis, making the determination and implementation of alternative therapeutic targets problematic. To address this knowledge gap, this report describes the analysis of the NFAb-1 and NFAb-2 XDR isolates, which were obtained at two time points during a fatal case of necrotizing fasciitis, at the genomic and functional levels. The comparative genomic analysis of these isolates with the ATCC 19606T and ATCC 17978 strains showed that the NFAb-1 and NFAb-2 isolates are genetically different from each other as well as different from the ATCC 19606T and ATCC 17978 clinical isolates. These genomic differences could be reflected in phenotypic differences observed in these NFAb isolates. Biofilm, cell viability and flow cytometry assays indicate that all tested strains caused significant decreases in A549 human alveolar epithelial cell viability with ATCC 17978, NFAb-1 and NFAb-2 producing significantly less biofilm and significantly more hemolysis and capacity for intracellular invasion than ATCC 19606T. NFAb-1 and NFAb-2 also demonstrated negligible surface motility but significant twitching motility compared to ATCC 19606T and ATCC 17978, likely due to the presence of pili exceeding 2 µm in length, which are significantly longer and different from those previously described in the ATCC 19606T and ATCC 17978 strains. Interestingly, infection with cells of the NFAb-1 isolate, which were obtained from a premortem blood sample, lead to significantly higher mortality rates than NFAb-2 bacteria, which were obtained from postmortem tissue samples, when tested using the Galleria mellonella in vivo infection model. These observations suggest potential changes in the virulence phenotype of the A. baumannii necrotizing fasciitis isolates over the course of infection by mechanisms and cell processes that remain to be identified.

The opportunistic human pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii senses and responds to light.

Light is a ubiquitous environmental signal that many organisms sense and respond to by modulating their physiological responses accordingly. While this is an expected response among phototrophic microorganisms, the ability of chemotrophic prokaryotes to sense and react to light has become a puzzling and novel issue in bacterial physiology, particularly among bacterial pathogens. In this work, we show that the opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii senses and responds to blue light. Motility and formation of biofilms and pellicles were observed only when bacterial cells were incubated in darkness. In contrast, the killing of Candida albicans filaments was enhanced when they were cocultured with bacteria under light. These bacterial responses depend on the expression of the A. baumannii ATCC 17978 A1S_2225 gene, which codes for an 18.6-kDa protein that contains an N-terminal blue-light-sensing-using flavin (BLUF) domain and lacks a detectable output domain(s). Spectral analyses of the purified recombinant protein showed its ability to sense light by a red shift upon illumination. Therefore, the A1S_2225 gene, which is present in several members of the Acinetobacter genus, was named blue-light-sensing A (blsA). Interestingly, temperature plays a role in the ability of A. baumannii to sense and respond to light via the BlsA photoreceptor protein.

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates from a Fatal Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterial pathogen with serious implications for human health and is recognized as an urgent threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Total DNA from two A. baumannii clinical isolates collected over 3 days from a fatal case of necrotizing fasciitis has been sequenced to >30× coverage.

An acidic polysaccharide (AGC3) isolated from North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) suspension culture as a potential immunomodulatory nutraceutical.

Polysaccharides isolated from Panax quinquefolius roots are widely used as nutraceuticals due to their immunomodulatory properties. Despite their popularity, several challenges exist in isolating ginseng root polysaccharides such as batch-to-batch structural inconsistencies and bacterial endotoxin contamination. A plant tissue culture-based platform offers a potential solution to isolate natural polysaccharide fractions with consistent chemical characteristics and reduced endotoxin content. In this study, an acidic polysaccharide fraction (AGC3) with immunomodulatory properties was isolated from Panax quinquefolius suspension cultures. The heterogeneous fraction (molecular weight: 4.81 and 32.14 kDa), purified by anion exchange chromatography, was predominantly composed of galactose (>60%) along with the presence of rhamnose, arabinose, glucose, glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid. The major glycosidic linkages were found to be t-Galp (47.7%), 4-Galp (15.6%), 2,4-Rhap (8.1%), 6-Galp (8.1%) and 4-GalAp (6.8%). Structural analyses indicated the presence of a pectic rhamnogalacturonan I polysaccharide in AGC3. AGC3 significantly (p < 0.05) stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells and primary murine splenocytes by enhancing the production of several immunomodulatory mediators such as IL-6, TNF-α, GM-CSF and MCP-1. The results also indicated the putative roles of NF-κB (p65/RelA) and MAPK (p38) signaling pathways in the immunostimulatory response. Additionally, AGC3 induced murine splenocyte proliferation, another major indicator of immunostimulation. Overall, AGC3 has the potential to be used as an immunostimulatory nutraceutical.

Chemogenomic profiling to understand the antifungal action of a bioactive aurone compound.

Every year, more than 250,000 invasive candidiasis infections are reported with 50,000 deaths worldwide. The limited number of antifungal agents necessitates the need for alternative antifungals with potential novel targets. The 2-benzylidenebenzofuran-3-(2H)-ones have become an attractive scaffold for antifungal drug design. This study aimed to determine the antifungal activity of a synthetic aurone compound and characterize its mode of action. Using the broth microdilution method, aurone SH1009 exhibited inhibition against C. albicans, including resistant isolates, as well as C. glabrata, and C. tropicalis with IC50 values of 4-29 µM. Cytotoxicity assays using human THP-1, HepG2, and A549 human cell lines showed selective toxicity toward fungal cells. The mode of action for SH1009 was characterized using chemical-genetic interaction via haploinsufficiency (HIP) and homozygous (HOP) profiling of a uniquely barcoded Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant collection. Approximately 5300 mutants were competitively treated with SH1009 followed by DNA extraction, amplification of unique barcodes, and quantification of each mutant using multiplexed next-generation sequencing. Barcode post-sequencing analysis revealed 238 sensitive and resistant mutants that significantly (FDR P values ≤ 0.05) responded to aurone SH1009. The enrichment analysis of KEGG pathways and gene ontology demonstrated the cell cycle pathway as the most significantly enriched pathway along with DNA replication, cell division, actin cytoskeleton organization, and endocytosis. Phenotypic studies of these significantly enriched responses were validated in C. albicans. Flow cytometric analysis of SH1009-treated C. albicans revealed a significant accumulation of cells in G1 phase, indicating cell cycle arrest. Fluorescence microscopy detected abnormally interrupted actin dynamics, resulting in enlarged, unbudded cells. RT-qPCR confirmed the effects of SH1009 in differentially expressed cell cycle, actin polymerization, and signal transduction genes. These findings indicate the target of SH1009 as a cell cycle-dependent organization of the actin cytoskeleton, suggesting a novel mode of action of the aurone compound as an antifungal inhibitor.

Isolation, structure elucidation, and immunostimulatory activity of polysaccharide fractions from Boswellia carterii frankincense resin.

Frankincense has a long history in religious, cultural, and medicinal use. In this study polysaccharides were extracted from frankincense from Boswellia carterii. The polysaccharides were purified by anion exchange chromatography on a DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow 16/10 FPLC column. Six fractions were obtained and the three most active immunomodulatory fractions were further purified by size exclusion chromatography on a Superdex-200 column. The composition showed the monosaccharides present were predominantly galactose, arabinose, and glucuronic acid along with small amounts of rhamnose and glucose. The monosaccharide composition and glycosyl linkage analysis revealed the polysaccharides belong to the type II arabinogalactans. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and bicinchoninic acid assay showed that the amount of protein in the samples was <1 wt%. One-dimensional 1H NMR were consistent with high molecular weight compounds. The monosaccharides were primarily in the ß conformation. The three fractions exhibited an immunostimulatory effect on RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. The most active immunostimulatory fraction FA2, stimulated a range of pro-inflammatory mediators including iNOS, NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 cells. The fractions were effective in proliferating primary murine splenocytes. The results indicate that the polysaccharides isolated from frankincense have the potential to be used as an immunological stimulant or nutraceutical.

Identification of Potential Virulence Factors in the Model Strain Acinetobacter baumannii A118.

Acinetobacter baumannii A118, a strain isolated from the blood of an infected patient, is naturally competent and unlike most clinical strains, is susceptible to a variety of different antibiotics including those usually used for selection in genetic manipulations. These characteristics make strain A118 a convenient model for genetic studies of A. baumannii. To identify potential virulence factors, its complete genome was analyzed and compared to other A. baumannii genomes. A. baumannii A118 includes gene clusters coding for the acinetobactin and baumannoferrin iron acquisition systems. Iron-regulated expression of the BauA outer membrane receptor for ferric-acinetobactin complexes was confirmed as well as the utilization of acinetobactin. A. baumannii A118 also possesses the feoABC genes, which code for the main bacterial ferrous uptake system. The functionality of baumannoferrin was suggested by the ability of A. baumannii A118 culture supernatants to cross feed an indicator BauA-deficient strain plated on iron-limiting media. A. baumannii A118 behaved as non-motile but included the csuA/BABCDE chaperone-usher pilus assembly operon and produced biofilms on polystyrene and glass surfaces. While a known capsular polysaccharide (K) locus was identified, the outer core polysaccharide (OC) locus, which belongs to group B, showed differences with available sequences. Our results show that despite being susceptible to most antibiotics, strain A118 conserves known virulence-related traits enhancing its value as model to study A. baumannii pathogenicity.

Panax quinquefolius (North American ginseng) cell suspension culture as a source of bioactive polysaccharides: Immunostimulatory activity and characterization of a neutral polysaccharide AGC1.

In this study, we propose the use of a plant tissue culture-based system for the production of polysaccharides with consistent chemical characteristics and reduced endotoxin content. Polysaccharides were isolated from suspension cultures of Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng), a widely used medicinal herb. A neutral fraction, AGC1, purified by anion exchange and size exclusion chromatography, displayed immunostimulatory activity in vitro and ex vivo. AGC1 (average molecular weight: 5.2kDa) was predominantly composed of galactose (>60%) along with the presence of several other neutral sugars such as arabinose, xylose, glucose, mannose and rhamnose in minor amounts. The major glycosidic linkages were found to be 3-Galp (48.5%), 3,6-Galp (10.2%), t-Galp (5.2%), 6-Galp (4.4%), 4-Glcp (5.7%), 4-Arap/5-Araf (4.0%) and t-Araf (4.5%). AGC1 significantly (p<0.05) stimulated the expression of a range of proinflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages such as IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1 and GM-CSF. Additionally, AGC1 treatment of RAW 264.7 cells stimulated NOS2 gene expression, leading to increased levels of iNOS and downstream NO. Consistent with this, AGC1 was able to act as an immunostimulant in primary murine splenocytes, enhancing cell proliferation, as well as NO and TNF-α production. Our results also indicate the partial role of NF-κB pathway in the immunostimulatory response.

Mucin acts as a nutrient source and a signal for the differential expression of genes coding for cellular processes and virulence factors in Acinetobacter baumannii.

The capacity of Acinetobacter baumannii to persist and cause infections depends on its interaction with abiotic and biotic surfaces, including those found on medical devices and host mucosal surfaces. However, the extracellular stimuli affecting these interactions are poorly understood. Based on our previous observations, we hypothesized that mucin, a glycoprotein secreted by lung epithelial cells, particularly during respiratory infections, significantly alters A. baumannii's physiology and its interaction with the surrounding environment. Biofilm, virulence and growth assays showed that mucin enhances the interaction of A. baumannii ATCC 19606T with abiotic and biotic surfaces and its cytolytic activity against epithelial cells while serving as a nutrient source. The global effect of mucin on the physiology and virulence of this pathogen is supported by RNA-Seq data showing that its presence in a low nutrient medium results in the differential transcription of 427 predicted protein-coding genes. The reduced expression of ion acquisition genes and the increased transcription of genes coding for energy production together with the detection of mucin degradation indicate that this host glycoprotein is a nutrient source. The increased expression of genes coding for adherence and biofilm biogenesis on abiotic and biotic surfaces, the degradation of phenylacetic acid and the production of an active type VI secretion system further supports the role mucin plays in virulence. Taken together, our observations indicate that A. baumannii recognizes mucin as an environmental signal, which triggers a response cascade that allows this pathogen to acquire critical nutrients and promotes host-pathogen interactions that play a role in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections.

Identification of a small molecule inhibitor of the aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferase type Ib [AAC(6')-Ib] using mixture-based combinatorial libraries.

The aminoglycoside, 6'-N-acetyltransferase type Ib [AAC(6')-Ib] is the most widely distributed enzyme among AAC(6')-I-producing Gram-negative pathogens and confers resistance to clinically relevant aminoglycosides, including amikacin. This enzyme is therefore an ideal target for enzymatic inhibitors that could overcome resistance to aminoglycosides. The search for inhibitors was carried out using mixture-based combinatorial libraries, the scaffold ranking approach, and the positional scanning strategy. A library with high inhibitory activity had pyrrolidine pentamine scaffold and was selected for further analysis. This library contained 738,192 compounds with functionalities derived from 26 different amino acids (R1, R2 and R3) and 42 different carboxylic acids (R4) in four R-group functionalities. The most active compounds all contained S-phenyl (R1 and R3) and S-hydromethyl (R2) functionalities at three locations and differed at the R4 position. The compound containing 3-phenylbutyl at R4 (compound 206) was a robust enzymatic inhibitor in vitro, in combination with amikacin it potentiated the inhibition of growth of three resistant bacteria in culture, and it improved survival when used as treatment of Galleria mellonella infected with aac(6')-Ib-harboring Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii strains.