Escherichia coli BarA-UvrY regulates the pks island and kills Staphylococci via the genotoxin colibactin during interspecies competition.

Wound infections are often polymicrobial in nature, biofilm associated and therefore tolerant to antibiotic therapy, and associated with delayed healing. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are among the most frequently cultured pathogens from wound infections. However, little is known about the frequency or consequence of E. coli and S. aureus polymicrobial interactions during wound infections. Here we show that E. coli kills Staphylococci, including S. aureus, both in vitro and in a mouse excisional wound model via the genotoxin, colibactin. Colibactin biosynthesis is encoded by the pks locus, which we identified in nearly 30% of human E. coli wound infection isolates. While it is not clear how colibactin is released from E. coli or how it penetrates target cells, we found that the colibactin intermediate N-myristoyl-D-Asn (NMDA) disrupts the S. aureus membrane. We also show that the BarA-UvrY two component system (TCS) senses the environment created during E. coli and S. aureus mixed species interaction, leading to upregulation of pks island genes. Further, we show that BarA-UvrY acts via the carbon storage global regulatory (Csr) system to control pks expression. Together, our data demonstrate the role of colibactin in interspecies competition and show that it is regulated by BarA-UvrY TCS during interspecies competition.

Enantiomeric glycosylated cationic block co-beta-peptides eradicate Staphylococcus aureus biofilms and antibiotic-tolerant persisters.

The treatment of bacterial infections is hindered by the presence of biofilms and metabolically inactive persisters. Here, we report the synthesis of an enantiomeric block co-beta-peptide, poly(amido-D-glucose)-block-poly(beta-L-lysine), with high yield and purity by one-shot one-pot anionic-ring opening (co)polymerization. The co-beta-peptide is bactericidal against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), including replicating, biofilm and persister bacterial cells, and also disperses biofilm biomass. It is active towards community-acquired and hospital-associated MRSA strains which are resistant to multiple drugs including vancomycin and daptomycin. Its antibacterial activity is superior to that of vancomycin in MRSA mouse and human ex vivo skin infection models, with no acute in vivo toxicity in repeated dosing in mice at above therapeutic levels. The copolymer displays bacteria-activated surfactant-like properties, resulting from contact with the bacterial envelope. Our results indicate that this class of non-toxic molecule, effective against different bacterial sub-populations, has promising potential for the treatment of S. aureus infections.

Raman-encoded, multivalent glycan-nanoconjugates for traceable specific binding and killing of bacteria.

Glycan recognition plays key roles in cell-cell and host-pathogen interactions, stimulating widespread interest in developing multivalent glycoconjugates with superior binding affinity for biological and medical uses. Here, we explore the use of Raman-encoded silver coated gold nanorods (GNRs) as scaffolds to form multivalent glycoconjugates. The plasmonic scaffolds afford high-loading of glycan density and their optical properties offer the possibilities of monitoring and quantitative analysis of glycan recognition. Using E. coli strains with tailored on/off of the FimH receptors, we have demonstrated that Raman-encoded GNRs not only allow for real-time imaging and spectroscopic detection of specific binding of the glycan-GNR conjugates with bacteria of interest, but also cause rapid eradication of the bacteria due to the efficient photothermal conversion of GNRs in the near-infrared spectral window. We envision that optically active plasmonic glycoconjugates hold great potential for screening multivalent glycan ligands for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Extracellular Electron Transfer Powers Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm Metabolism.

Enterococci are important human commensals and significant opportunistic pathogens. Biofilm-related enterococcal infections, such as endocarditis, urinary tract infections, wound and surgical site infections, and medical device-associated infections, often become chronic upon the formation of biofilm. The biofilm matrix establishes properties that distinguish this state from free-living bacterial cells and increase tolerance to antimicrobial interventions. The metabolic versatility of the enterococci is reflected in the diversity and complexity of environments and communities in which they thrive. Understanding metabolic factors governing colonization and persistence in different host niches can reveal factors influencing the transition to biofilm pathogenicity. Here, we report a form of iron-dependent metabolism for Enterococcus faecalis where, in the absence of heme, extracellular electron transfer (EET) and increased ATP production augment biofilm growth. We observe alterations in biofilm matrix depth and composition during iron-augmented biofilm growth. We show that the ldh gene encoding l-lactate dehydrogenase is required for iron-augmented energy production and biofilm formation and promotes EET.IMPORTANCE Bacterial metabolic versatility can often influence the outcome of host-pathogen interactions, yet causes of metabolic shifts are difficult to resolve. The bacterial biofilm matrix provides the structural and functional support that distinguishes this state from free-living bacterial cells. Here, we show that the biofilm matrix can immobilize iron, providing access to this growth-promoting resource which is otherwise inaccessible in the planktonic state. Our data show that in the absence of heme, Enterococcus faecalis l-lactate dehydrogenase promotes EET and uses matrix-associated iron to carry out EET. Therefore, the presence of iron within the biofilm matrix leads to enhanced biofilm growth.

Nanoparticles of Short Cationic Peptidopolysaccharide Self-Assembled by Hydrogen Bonding with Antibacterial Effect against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and polymers are active against many multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, but only a limited number of these compounds are in clinical use due to their unselective toxicity. The typical strategy for achieving selective antibacterial efficacy with low mammalian cell toxicity is through balancing the ratio of cationicity to hydrophobicity. Herein, we report a cationic nanoparticle self-assembled from chitosan-graft-oligolysine (CSM5-K5) chains with ultralow molecular weight (1450 Da) that selectively kills bacteria. Further, hydrogen bonding rather than the typical hydrophobic interaction causes the polymer chains to be aggregated together in water into small nanoparticles (with about 37 nm hydrodynamic radius) to concentrate the cationic charge of the lysine. When complexed with bacterial membrane, these cationic nanoparticles synergistically cluster anionic membrane lipids and produce a greater membrane perturbation and antibacterial effect than would be achievable by the same quantity of charge if dispersed in individual copolymer molecules in solution. The small zeta potential (+15 mV) and lack of hydrophobicity of the nanoparticles impedes the insertion of the copolymer into the cell bilayer to improve biocompatibility. In vivo study (using a murine excisional wound model) shows that CSM5-K5 suppresses the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria by 4.0 orders of magnitude, an efficacy comparable to that of the last resort MRSA antibiotic vancomycin; it is also noninflammatory with little/no activation of neutrophils (CD11b and Ly6G immune cells). This study demonstrates a promising new class of cationic polymers-short cationic peptidopolysaccharides-that effectively attack MDR bacteria due to the synergistic clustering of, rather than insertion into, bacterial anionic lipids by the concentrated polymers in the resulting hydrogen-bonding-stabilized cationic nanoparticles.

Enterococcus faecalis Modulates Immune Activation and Slows Healing During Wound Infection.

Enterococcus faecalis is one of the most frequently isolated bacterial species in wounds yet little is known about its pathogenic mechanisms in this setting. Here, we used a mouse wound excisional model to characterize the infection dynamics of E faecalis and show that infected wounds result in 2 different states depending on the initial inoculum. Low-dose inocula were associated with short-term, low-titer colonization whereas high-dose inocula were associated with acute bacterial replication and long-term persistence. High-dose infection and persistence were also associated with immune cell infiltration, despite suppression of some inflammatory cytokines and delayed wound healing. During high-dose infection, the multiple peptide resistance factor, which is involved in resisting immune clearance, contributes to E faecalis fitness. These results comprehensively describe a mouse model for investigating E faecalis wound infection determinants, and suggest that both immune modulation and resistance contribute to persistent, nonhealing wounds.

Enterococcal Metabolite Cues Facilitate Interspecies Niche Modulation and Polymicrobial Infection.

Enterococcus faecalis is frequently associated with polymicrobial infections of the urinary tract, indwelling catheters, and surgical wound sites. E. faecalis co-exists with Escherichia coli and other pathogens in wound infections, but mechanisms that govern polymicrobial colonization and pathogenesis are poorly defined. During infection, bacteria must overcome multiple host defenses, including nutrient iron limitation, to persist and cause disease. In this study, we investigated the contribution of E. faecalis to mixed-species infection when iron availability is restricted. We show that E. faecalis significantly augments E. coli biofilm growth and survival in vitro and in vivo by exporting L-ornithine. This metabolic cue facilitates E. coli biosynthesis of the enterobactin siderophore, allowing E. coli growth and biofilm formation in iron-limiting conditions that would otherwise restrict its growth. Thus, E. faecalis modulates its local environment by contributing growth-promoting cues that allow co-infecting organisms to overcome iron limitation and promotes polymicrobial infections.

Generating novel recombinant prokaryotic lectins with altered carbohydrate binding properties through mutagenesis of the PA-IL protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

BACKGROUND: Prokaryotic lectins offer significant advantages over eukaryotic lectins for the development of enhanced glycoselective tools. Amenability to recombinant expression in Escherichia coli simplifies their production and presents opportunities for further genetic manipulation to create novel recombinant prokaryotic lectins (RPLs) with altered or enhanced carbohydrate binding properties. This study explored the potential of the α-galactophilic PA-IL lectin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa for use as a scaffold structure for the generation of novel RPLs. METHOD: Specific amino acid residues in the carbohydrate binding site of a recombinant PA-IL protein were randomly substituted by site-directed mutagenesis. The resulting expression clones were then functionally screened to identify clones expressing rPA-IL proteins with altered carbohydrate binding properties. RESULTS: This study generated RPLs exhibiting diverse carbohydrate binding activities including specificity and high affinity for ß-linked galactose and N-acetyl-lactosamine (LacNAc) displayed by N-linked glycans on glycoprotein targets. Key amino acid substitutions were identified and linked with specific carbohydrate binding activities. Ultimately, the utility of these novel RPLs for glycoprotein analysis and for selective fractionation and isolation of glycoproteins and their glycoforms was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: The carbohydrate binding properties of the PA-IL protein can be significantly altered using site-directed mutagenesis strategies to generate novel RPLs with diverse carbohydrate binding properties. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The novel RPLs reported would find a broad range of applications in glycobiology, diagnostics and in the analysis of biotherapeutics. The ability to readily produce these RPLs in gram quantities could enable them to find larger scale applications for glycoprotein or biotherapeutic purification.

The hmuUV genes of Sinorhizobium meliloti 2011 encode the permease and ATPase components of an ABC transport system for the utilization of both haem and the hydroxamate siderophores, ferrichrome and ferrioxamine B.

Sinorhizobium meliloti, the endosymbiont of Medicago sativa, can use haem compounds, including haemoglobin and leghaemoglobin, when growing in the free-living state. The components of the system involved in haem acquisition were confirmed to be ShmR, an outer membrane receptor, and HmuTUV, predicted to be an ABC transport system comprising a periplasmic protein, a permease and an ATPase respectively. The roles of HmuTUV in haem transport were confirmed in a heterologous expression system in Escherichia coli in conjunction with HasR, the outer membrane haem receptor of Serratia marcescens. hmuTUV mutants of S. meliloti showed a reduced capacity to acquire haem, suggesting the presence of a second haem acquisition system in the organism. S. meliloti can also acquire iron from xenosiderophores and the genes encoding the outer membrane receptors for ferrichrome and ferrioxamine B, fhuA1 and fhuA2, respectively, were identified. In light of this it is proposed that fhuA2 should be renamed foxA in the S. meliloti 1021 genome sequence. A siderophore reductase, FhuF, with the capacity to complement an E. coli ferrioxamine B reductase mutant, was identified encoded by a gene next to fhuA2. In the same transcriptional unit as fhuF the gene fhuP was identified and shown to encode a protein necessary for transport of ferrichrome and ferrioxamine B and predicted to be periplasmic. Interestingly, the remaining components of the transport system for the siderophores are HmuU and HmuV. Ferrichrome, ferrioxamine B and haem compounds therefore share components of the same transport system in S. meliloti.

FoxB of Pseudomonas aeruginosa functions in the utilization of the xenosiderophores ferrichrome, ferrioxamine B, and schizokinen: evidence for transport redundancy at the inner membrane.

Expression of the inner membrane protein FoxB (PA2465) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mutants of Sinorhizobium meliloti that are defective in the utilization of ferrichrome, ferrioxamine B, and schizokinen resulted in the restoration of siderophore utilization. Mutagenesis of foxB in P. aeruginosa did not abolish siderophore utilization, suggesting that the function is redundant.