The Benefits of Toxicity: M. smegmatis VapBC TA Module Is Induced by Tetracycline Exposure and Promotes Survival.

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widely present in bacterial genomes. Mycolicibacterium smegmatis, a common model organism for studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis physiology, has eight TA loci, including mazEF and vapBC. This study aims to investigate the physiological significance of these TA systems. Proteomic profiling was conducted on a culture overexpressing the VapC toxin, and the involvement of VapC in M. smegmatis stress responses to heat shock and antibiotic treatment was examined. While deciphering the underlying mechanisms of the altered stress resistance, we assessed the antibiotic susceptibility of vapBC, mazEF, and double vapBC-mazEF deletion mutants. Additionally, the mRNA levels of vapC and mazF were measured following tetracycline supplementation. The results reveal changes in the abundance of metabolic enzymes and stress response proteins associated with VapC overexpression. This activation of the general stress response leads to reduced thermosensitivity in M. smegmatis, but does not affect susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and isoniazid. Under tetracycline treatment, both vapC and mazF expression levels are increased, and the fate of the cell depends on the interaction between the corresponding TA systems.

Development of Heterologous Expression System and Optimization of the Method of Cholera Toxin ß-Subunit Production in E. coli.

Cholera is a deadly infection disease, which is usually associated with low hygiene levels and limited access to high-quality drinking water. An effective way to prevent cholera is the use of vaccines. Among active vaccine components there is the CtxB protein (cholera toxin ß-subunit). In the current work, we have developed a genetic system for production of the recombinant CtxB in E. coli cells and studied conditions for synthesis and purification of the target product at the laboratory scale. It has been found that the optimal algorithm for isolation of the recombinant protein is to grow E. coli culture in the synthetic M9 medium with glycerol, followed by CtxB purification out of the spent culture medium using Ni2+-chelate affinity chromatography techniques. Forty-eight hours after induction of CtxB expression, concentration of the target product could be up to 50 mg/liter in the culture medium. The CtxB protein retains its pentameric structure during expression and through purification. The latter makes it possible to consider the developed system as a promising tool for the industrial-level production of recombinant CtxB for medical and research purposes.

VapC toxin switches M. smegmatis cells into dormancy through 23S rRNA cleavage.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an extremely successful pathogen known for its ability to cause latent infection. The latter is connected with the bacterium resting state development and is considered to be based on the activity of toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems at least in part. Here we studied the physiological and proteomic consequences of VapC toxin overexpression together with the features of the protein synthesis apparatus and compared them with the characteristics of dormant mycobacterial cells in an M. smegmatis model. The findings allow suggesting the mechanism mycobacteria enter dormancy, which is realized through VapC-caused cleavage of the 23S rRNA Sarcin-Ricin loop followed by conservation of stalled ribosomes in a membrane-associated manner. The found features of resting mycobacteria protein synthesis apparatus hypothesize the mechanisms of resuscitation from dormancy through the ribosomes de-association off the membrane accompanied by the 23S rRNA break curing, and could be of value for the development of principally new antituberculosis agents.

Cadaverine biosynthesis contributes to decreased Escherichia coli susceptibility to antibiotics.

Some bacterial stress responses are involved in survival under antibiotic treatment and contribute to less susceptible microbial forms selection. Here, we tested the role of cadaverine, one of the biogenic polyamines considered as universal adaptogens, in the processes. The expression of ldcC and cadA genes, encoding cadaverine-producing lysine decarboxylase, increased in Escherichia coli cells exposed to ß-lactams and fluoroquinolones but not aminoglycosides. The transcriptional regulators RpoS and SoxS controlled the expression of ldcC and cadA, respectively, in response to antibiotics. Exogenous cadaverine had little effect on E. coli antibiotic susceptibility, whereas non-antibiotic-induced endogenous cadaverine contributed to its tolerance to ß-lactams, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. Antibiotic-induced cadaverine synthesis promoted bacterial survival under fluoroquinolone exposure, as well as could contribute to low-resistant bacterial forms development. Selection under the fluoroquinolone levofloxacin exposure toward bacteria with an increased ability to synthesize cadaverine and negative correlation between LdcC activity and fluoroquinolone susceptibility in the selected forms were demonstrated. The same correlation in a special group of low-level resistant clinical E. coli isolates was revealed. So, cadaverine biosynthesis appeared to be a significant player in decreased E. coli antibiotic susceptibility development.

Mycolicibacterium smegmatis possesses operational agmatinase but contains no detectable polyamines.

Background: Polyamines are widespread intracellular molecules able to influence antibiotic susceptibility, but almost nothing is known on their occurrence and physiological role in mycobacteria. Methods: here, we analyzed transcriptomic, proteomic and biochemical data and obtained the first evidence for the post-transcriptional expression of some genes attributed to polyamine metabolism and polyamine transport in Mycolicibacterium smegmatis (basionym Mycobacterium smegmatis). Results: in our experiments, exponentially growing cells demonstrated transcription of 21 polyamine-associated genes and possessed 7 enzymes of polyamine metabolism and 2 polyamine transport proteins. Conclusion: Mycolicibacterium smegmatis putrescine synthesizing enzyme agmatinase SpeB was originally shown to catalyze agmatine conversion to putrescine in vitro. Nevertheless, we have not found any polyamines in mycobacterial cells.

Stationary-phase genes upregulated by polyamines are responsible for the formation of Escherichia coli persister cells tolerant to netilmicin.

Persisters are rare phenotypic variants of regular bacterial cells that survive lethal antibiotics or stresses owing to slowing down of their metabolism. Recently, we have shown that polyamine putrescine can upregulate persister cell formation in Escherichia coli via the stimulation of rpoS expression, encoding a master regulator of general stress response. We hypothesized that rmf and yqjD, the stationary-phase genes responsible for ribosome inactivation, might be good candidates for the similar role owing to their involvement in translational arrest and the ability to be affected by polyamines. Using reporter gene fusions or single and multiple knockout mutations in rpoS, rmf and yqjD genes, we show in this work that (i) E. coli polyamines spermidine and cadaverine can upregulate persistence, like putrescine; (ii) polyamine effects on persister cell formation are mediated through stimulation of expression of rpoS, rmf and yqjD genes; (iii) these genes are involved in persister cell formation sequentially in a dynamic fashion as cells enter the stationary phase. The data obtained in this work can be used to develop novel tools relying on a suppression of polyamine metabolism in bacteria to combat persister cells as an important cause of infections refractory to antibiotics.

Putrescine controls the formation of Escherichia coli persister cells tolerant to aminoglycoside netilmicin.

Persisters are suggested to be the products of a phenotypic variability that are quasi-dormant forms of regular bacterial cells highly tolerant to antibiotics. Our previous investigations revealed that a decrease in antibiotic tolerance of Escherichia coli cells could be reached through the inhibition of key enzymes of polyamine synthesis (putrescine, spermidine). We therefore assumed that polyamines could be involved in persister cell formation. Data obtained in our experiments with the polyamine-deficient E. coli strain demonstrate that the formation of persisters tolerant to netilmicin is highly upregulated by putrescine in a concentration-dependent manner when cells enter the stationary phase. This period is also accompanied by dissociation of initially homogenous subpopulation of persister cells to some fractions differing in their levels of tolerance to netilmicin. With three independent experimental approaches, we demonstrate that putrescine-dependent upregulation of persister cell formation is mediated by stimulation of rpoS expression. Complementary activity of putrescine and RpoS results in ~ 1000-fold positive effect on persister cell formation.

Polyamines reduce oxidative stress in Escherichia coli cells exposed to bactericidal antibiotics.

Bactericidal antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides and cephalosporins) at their sublethal concentrations were able to produce hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions (ROS) in Escherichia coli cells, which resulted in damage to proteins and DNA. The cells responded to oxidative stress by a 2-3-fold increase in cell polyamines (putrescine, spermidine) produced as a consequence of upregulation of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Relief of oxidative stress by cessation of culture aeration or addition of antioxidants substantially diminished or even completely abolished polyamine accumulation observed in response to antibiotics. Alternatively, inhibition of polyamine synthesis resulted in enhancement of oxidative stress in antibiotic-processed cells. When added to antibiotic-inhibited culture, polyamines reduced intracellular ROS production and thereby prevented damage to proteins and DNA. These effects eventually resulted in a substantial increase in cell viability, growth recovery and antibiotic resistance that were more strongly expressed in polyamine-deficient mutants.