Comparison of extracellular proteases produced by Aeromonas salmonicida strains, isolated from various fish species

Extracellular products (ECPs) of five typical and 25 atypical Aeromonas salmonicida isolates from various fish species and geographical locations were analysed by substrate specificity, inhibition of proteolytic activity and substrate SDS-PAGE. The type strains of Aer. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida and Aer. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes were included for comparison. The results indicated that the strains formed six protease groups. The proteases produced by the two type strains were of a different nature. All the typical strains belonged to one group and showed proteolytic activities comparable to P1 and P2 proteases. Three atypical (oxidase-negative) strains secreted a protease comparable to P1. With the exception of these three, all strains produced metallo-gelatinases. A metallo-caseinase (AsaP1) was detected in the ECP of subsp. achromogenes type strain and 10 of the atypical strains. A number of proteolytic components with different apparent molecular weights (AMWs) were identified. These include caseinases with AMWs of > 100, 80, 60 and 30 kDa and gelatinolytic components with different AMWs, including some with AMW higher than P1 and lower than P2. The protease production of the isolates was not found to be host specific.     

Glycerophospholipid:cholesterol acyltransferase complexed with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major lethal exotoxin and cytolysin of Aeromonas salmonicida: LPS stabilizes and enhances toxicity of the enzyme.

An extracellular lethal toxin produced by Aeromonas salmonicida was purified by fast-protein liquid ion-exchange chromatography. The toxin is composed of glycerophospholipid:cholesterol acyltransferase (GCAT) (molecular mass, 25 kilodaltons) aggregated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the GCAT/LPS complex having a molecular mass of about 2,000 kilodaltons, estimated by gel filtration chromatography. The toxin is lethal for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) at a concentration of 0.045 micrograms of protein per g of body weight. The toxin is a hemolysin (T-lysin, active on fish erythrocytes), leukocytolysin, and cytotoxin. Antiserum to the purified toxin neutralized the lethal toxicity of the crude extracellular toxins, indicating this toxin to be the major lethal factor produced by A. salmonicida. In the crude extracellular products, small amounts of free GCAT were also present. This has been purified, and its activities and properties have been compared with those of the GCAT/LPS complex. The presence of LPS did not influence the GCAT activity of the enzyme with egg yolk or phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) as a substrate, but the specific hemolytic activity and lethal toxicity was about eightfold higher in the complexed form. Furthermore, the free GCAT was more susceptible to proteolytic and heat inactivation than was the GCAT/LPS complex. Recombination of LPS (phenol extracted from extracellular products of A. salmonicida) with free GCAT enhanced the hemolytic activity, lethal toxicity, and heat stability of the latter but did not influence its lecithinase activity. In native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the GCAT/LPS complex and the recombined GCAT-LPS both showed a high-molecular-mass band which did not enter the gel, while the free GCAT produced a single band with low molecular mass. In isoelectric focusing gels, the GCAT/LPS and recombined GCAT-LPS produced a nonfocusing smear with pIs from pI 5.0 to 5.8, while the free GCAT produced a single band with pI 4.3. These data show that free GCAT can combine with LPS to produce a high-molecular-mass complex with enhanced toxicity and heat stability compared with those of free GCAT, similar to the preexisting GCAT/LPS complex, and indicate that the LPS moiety of the toxin plays an active role in toxicity.     

Lethal attribute of serine protease secreted by Vibrio alginolyticus strains in kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus

Toxicity of the extracellular products (ECP) and the lethal attribute of serine protease secreted by five pathogenic Vibrio alginolyticus strains from various sources in kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus were studied. The ECPs of organisms originally isolated from diseased kuruma prawn or small abalone Haliotis diversicolor supertexta were more lethal (LD50 value of 0.48 or 0.41 microg protein/g prawn) than those from diseased tiger prawn P. monodon, yellowfin porgy Acanthopagrus latus or horse mackerel (LD50 value of 0.98-1.17 microg protein/g prawn). All the ECPs manifested strong, weak and no activities against gelatin, sheep erythrocytes and chitin, respectively. In immunodiffusion tests using rabbit antiserum to a purified 33 kDa serine protease of strain Swy against ECP of each tested strain produced one single precipitation band in each treatment. Furthermore, the serine protease was suggested to be the dominant protease secreted by V. alginolyticus strains tested since the majority of enzymatic activity of the respective ECP was inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). A higher inhibition of serine protease activity by PMSF resulted in lower mortality rate of the ECPs injected into the prawns suggesting that the protease is one of the major lethal factor(s) secreted by V. alginolyticus.     

Monoclonal antibodies against AsaP1, a major exotoxin of the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. achromogenes, and their application in ELISA

Two monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) binding to a toxic extracellular metallo-proteinase of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. achromogenes, AsaP1, were produced. Both reacted with common epitopes of the native enzyme and recognized this 20 kDa antigen on Western blots. One of these Mabs had an inhibitory effect on the caseinase activity of the exotoxin. A Mab-based ELISA was set up and evaluated for serological detection of AsaP1 in bacterial culture filtrates. The exotoxin was identified serologically in the extracellular products of 11 of 26 atypical Aer. salmonicida isolates, including the type strain for subsp. achromogenes NCIMB 1110. The ELISA was approximately 100-fold more sensitive in detecting AsaP1 compared with an azocasein assay. The established serological test enables AsaP1 to be quantified reliably with a lower detection limit of about 0.12 ng ml-1 and has a potential use for the phenotypic differentiation of atypical Aer. salmonicida isolates.     

Possible virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus in a mouse septic model

Twenty clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were examined to elucidate the virulence factors which are directly related to lethality in a mouse septic model. Heat or formalin treatment of the organism abolished the lethal activity of the live organism during challenge intravenously administered via the tail vein. Nevertheless, injection of ten times concentrated culture supernatant fluid (SUP) showed lethal activity in the mouse. However, there was no lethality when SUP was heated at 60 degrees C for 15 min. To examine variations of SUP lethality among strains, we collected 20 strains of S. aureus from four different hospitals. Then, we compared several factors for SUP lethality, which were the extracellular toxins and enzymes, such as toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, enterotoxin A, B, D, and hemolysins (alpha,beta,gamma), and also cytotoxic activity to human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and Vero cells. No difference was found among these factors except cytotoxic activity to Vero cells. Furthermore, we compared two strains in a mouse septic model according to the grade of bacteremia and lethal events. We found that mortality was higher with challenge by the strain whose SUP was lethal in comparison to the strain whose SUP was not lethal, even though the viable bacteria counts in the septic blood in both strains were not significantly different. This strongly supports the possibility that extracellular products, not the cell wall components, of S. aureus play the key role in the lethal event in this mouse septic model. In addition, among the extracellular products, those which have cytotoxic activity to Vero cells may contribute to the lethality in sepsis caused by S. aureus in this murine model.     

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based typing analysis of atypical isolates of the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida.

Two hundred and five isolates of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida, recovered from a wide range of hosts and countries were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting four genes. The chosen genes were those encoding the extracellular A-layer protein (AP), the serine protease (Sprot), the glycerophospholipid:cholestrol acetyltransferase protein (GCAT), and the 16S rRNA (16S rDNA). All the atypical A. salmonicida isolates could be assigned to 4 PCR groups. Group 1 comprised 45 strains which tested positive for PCR amplification, using the 16S rDNA, GCAT2, Sprot2, and AP primer-sets. Group 2 comprised 88 strains with produced PCR products using the 16S rDNA, GCAT2 and AP primer-sets. Group 3 comprised 21 strains which produced PCR products using 16S rDNA, GCAT2 and Sprot2 primer-sets, and group 4 comprised 51 strains which produced PCR products using the 16S rDNA and GCAT2 primer-sets only. A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida isolates tested, belonged to group 1. The PCR primer-sets separated A. salmonicida from other reference strains of Aeromonas species and related bacteria with the exception of Aeromonas hydrophila. The results indicated that PCR typing is a useful framework for characterization of the increasing number of isolations of atypical A. salmonicida.     

Toxicity of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae strains isolated from new cultured marine fish

The in vivo and in vitro toxicity of bacterial cells and their extracellular products (ECPs) from 16 strains of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae isolated from 7 epizootic outbreaks were evaluated. On the basis of their 50% lethal dose (LD50) values (about 1 x 10(50 CFU), these strains may be considered as moderately virulent. However, their ECPs were strongly lethal for redbanded seabream Pagrus auriga causing fish death within 2 h post-inoculation (protein concentration ranged between 2.1 and 6.41 microg g(-1) fish). The bacterial ECPs tested exhibited several enzymatic activities, such as amylase, lipase, phospholipase, alkaline phosphatase, esterase-lipase, acid phosphatase, and beta-glucosaminidase. These ECPs displayed a strong cytotoxic effect on 4 fish and 2 mammalian cell lines, although this activity disappeared when ECPs were heated at 100 degrees C. The virulence of the strains tested could not be related to the hemolytic activity or to the production of the toxin damselysin. Therefore, another unknown type of toxin could play an important role in the virulence mechanisms of this bacterial pathogen.     

高致病性美人鱼发光杆菌美人鱼亚种胞外产物的毒力特性分析

【目的】美人鱼发光杆菌美人鱼亚种(Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae,PDD)是一种可导致多种海洋生物患病的重要病原菌。本研究以从我国海水养殖环境中分离的具有强磷脂酶活性、强溶血性表型且具有高致病性的2株PDD菌株为研究对象,分析PDD菌株胞外产物(extracellularproducts,ECP)的致病性及细胞毒性,及其与菌株致病性表型的相关性。【方法】利用培养基平板法测定菌株PDD1605、PDD1608的ECP体外磷脂酶活性和溶血性;通过人工感染实验测定PDD1605和PDD1608活菌株及其ECP对许氏平鲉的致病性,并进行组织病理切片观察组织的病理损伤;通过向人胚肾细胞系HEK293T和小鼠成纤维细胞系MCFS等2种培养细胞中添加菌株PDD1605和PDD1608的ECP测定其对哺乳动物的细胞毒性。【结果】人工感染PDD1605和PDD1608活菌株对许氏平鲉均表现为高致病性,5×108CFU/mL的菌液浓度24h内受试鱼全部死亡;菌株PDD1605和PDD1608的ECP对许氏平鲉同样表现为高致病性,受试鱼的死亡曲线与感染活菌株的...     

The AsaP1 peptidase of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. achromogenes is a highly conserved deuterolysin metalloprotease (family M35) and a major virulence factor

Infections by the bacterium Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. achromogenes cause significant disease in a number of fish species. In this study, we showed that AsaP1, a toxic 19-kDa metallopeptidase produced by A. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes, belongs to the group of extracellular peptidases (Aeromonas type) (MEROPS ID M35.003) of the deuterolysin family of zinc-dependent aspzincin endopeptidases. The structural gene of AsaP1 was sequenced and found to be highly conserved among gram-negative bacteria. An isogenic ΔasaP1 A. salmonicida subsp. achromogenes strain was constructed, and its ability to infect fish was compared with that of the wild-type (wt) strain. The ΔasaP1 strain was found to infect Arctic charr, Atlantic salmon, and Atlantic cod, but its virulence was decreased relative to that of the wt strain. The 50% lethal dose of the AsaP1 mutant was 10-fold higher in charr and 5-fold higher in salmon than that of the wt strain. The pathology induced by the AsaP1-deficient strain was also different from that of the wt strain. Furthermore, the mutant established significant bacterial colonization in all observed organs without any signs of a host response in the infected tissue. AsaP1 is therefore the first member of the M35 family that has been shown to be a bacterial virulence factor.     

Toxic and enzymatic activities of Vibrio vulnificus biotype 2 with respect to host specificity.

In this work, the enzymatic activities of selected strains of biotypes 1 and 2 of Vabrio vulnificus were analyzed by using conventional methods and the API ZYM system. The toxic activities of extracellular products (ECPs) were further evaluated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The ECPs of both biotypes (i) showed high-level hydrolytic activities, (ii) displayed cytotoxicity for fish cell lines, and (iii) were lethal for eels. Exotoxins seem to be proteinaceous since heat treatment of ECP samples destroyed their toxicity. Only biotype 2 strains were virulent for cels, suggesting that host specificity must be related to differences in cell surface properties. Infectivity trials with other fish species also revealed that only biotype 2 strains were virulent.     

The purification and some properties of H-lysin from Aeromonas salmonicida

H-lysin from Aeromonas salmonicida has been purified 1770-fold by freeze fractionation, ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. The purified material was predominantly H-lysin, devoid of detectable T-lysin, caseinase or gelatinase activity, although glycerophospholipid: cholesterol acyltransferase (GCAT) activity was present. The results suggested that H-lysin and GCAT activities were due to different extracellular products. Studies of the kinetics of haemolysis indicated that the H-lysin had an enzymic mode of action, and that initial erythrocyte damage appeared to precede lysis of the cell. The H-lysin was lethal to cultured rainbow trout gonad cells and leucocytes, but when it was injected intravenously in rainbow trout no pathological effects were observed.     

Higher production of rabies virus in serum-free medium cell cultures on microcarriers

The aprA gene encoding alkaline protease A (AprA) was cloned from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, and the cloned gene was used to construct aprA-deleted (aprA1) strains of B. thuringiensis. An aprA1 strain of B. thuringiensis that contained the wild-type gene for neutral protease A (nprA(+)) displayed levels of extracellular proteolytic activity that were similar to those of an aprA(+)nprA(+) strain. However, when EDTA was included in the protease assay to inhibit NprA activity the aprA1nprA(+) strain displayed only 2% of the extracellular proteolytic activity of the aprA(+)nprA(+) strain. A strain that was deleted for both aprA and nprA (aprA1nprA3 strain) failed to produce detectable levels of proteolytic activity either in the presence or absence of EDTA in the assay. Compared with the aprA(+)nprA(+) strain the aprA1nprA(+) strain yielded 10% more full-length Cry1Bb crystal protein and the aprA1nprA3 strain yielded 25% more full-length Cry1Bb protein. No significant differences were seen in the 50% lethal dose of Cry1Bb protein from aprA(+)nprA(+) and aprA1nprA3 strains against three species of lepidopteran insects. These results suggest that enhanced yield of certain crystal proteins can be obtained by deletion of the genes aprA and nprA which are the major extracellular proteases of B. thuringiensis.     

Detection and characterization of protease secreted by the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa

Xylella fastidiosa is a pathogenic bacterium found in several plants. These bacteria secrete extracellular proteases into the culture broth as visualized in sodium-dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide activity gels containing gelatin as a copolymerized substrate. Three major protein bands were produced by the citrus strain with molar masses (MM) of 122, 84 and 65 kDa. Grape strain 9,713 produced two bands of approximately 84 and 64 kDa. These organisms produced zones of hydrolysis in agar plates amended with gelatin, casein and hemoglobin. Gelatin was the best substrate for these proteases. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) activity gel indicated that the protease of Xylella fastidiosa from citrus and grape were completely inhibited by PMSF and partially inhibited by EDTA. The optimal temperature for protease activity was 30 degrees C with an optimal pH of 7.0. Among the proteolytic enzymes secreted by the phytopathogen, chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase activities were also detected in cultures of Xylella fastidiosa (citrus). From these results, it is suggested that proteases produced by strains of Xylella fastidiosa from citrus and grape, belong to the serine- and metallo-protease group, respectively.     

Toxicity of Crude Extracellular Products of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aeromonas hydrophila</Emphasis> on Rohu, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo rohita</Emphasis> (Ham.)

In the present study the haemolytic and proteolytic activity of extracellular products (ECP) secreted from Aeromonas hydrophila (CAHH14 strain) were studied with respect to temperature and different time of incubation as well as its lethal toxicity on rohu, Labeo rohita. The strain was isolated from Catla catla (showing abdominal dropsy symptom) collected from the pond of Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar, India and was characterized on the basis of biochemical tests. The highest production of haemolysin was achieved when the bacteria was grown at 35°C for 30 h. The proteolytic activity was found to be highest when the bacterium was grown at 30°C for 36 h. The haemolytic and proteolytic toxin produced by Aeromonas hydrophila was found to be lethal to rohu (LD₅₀ 1.7 × 10⁴ cfu/ml). The lethality of ECP was decreased by heating and completely inactivated by boiling at 100°C for 10 min. This indicates that protease activity and haemolytic activity of A. hydrophila ECP was temperature dependant.     

Pathogenicity caused by high virulent and low virulent strains of Steinernema carpocapsae to Galleria mellonella

Steinernema carpocapsae is an entomopathogenic nematode associated with a symbiotic bacterium, Xenorhabdus nematophilus. Both components of the complex participate in a pathogenic process in insects. This has raised two questions: how much does each one participate, and what mechanisms are involved? In this paper we compare the virulence of two strains of S. carpocapsae: a high virulent strain (Breton) and a low virulent strain (Az27), both of which are free of symbiotic bacteria. Breton and Az27 strains each one have similar ability to invade Galleria mellonella with median infectious times of 3.9 and 3.2 h, respectively. However, the LD(50) of the Breton and Az27 strains are 48.6 and 894.5 infective juveniles per insect, respectively. Breton strain takes 38 h to kill 100% of exposed insects, whereas Az27 takes three times longer. The lethal time of the low virulent strain in G. mellonella larvae is highly dependent on the number of nematodes which have penetrated the hemocelium, whereas it is not on the high virulent strain. Hemolymph patterns in SDS-PAGE of insects parasitized by the high virulent strain showed important differences in respect to the low virulent strain and control. Secretion/excretion products of the high virulent strain have important proteolytic activity as well as alpha-mannosidase and alpha-fucosidase activities, whereas, in secretion/excretion products of the avirulent strain, proteolytic activity was lower and alpha-mannosidase and alpha-fucosidase activities were undetected.     

Characterization of Bacillus cereus strains isolated from drugs and evaluation of their toxins

The microbial contamination of 68 samples of topical and 324 samples of oral medicaments has been studied. The most common group of contaminants was members of the genus Bacillus (34.4%). Because of the pathogenic significance of B. cereus , 39 strains were characterized by morphology and biochemical properties. All except three showed most of the characteristics of the type strain. They were highly resistant to lincomycin, polymyxin B and penicillin G-cephalosporin and were susceptible to streptomycin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol. Enterotoxin, phospholipase C and haemolysin production were also studied: 33 strains gave a positive vascular permeability reaction, four of them causing necrosis, and 24 showed positive mouse lethal tests. All the strains had phospholipase activity. The majority also exhibited differing degrees of haemolysis. Permeability factor was related to mouse lethality and haemolytic activity. Phospholipase C was not related to any of the above activities.     

Characterization of Bacillus cereus strains isolated from drugs and evaluation of their toxins

The microbial contamination of 68 samples of topical and 324 samples of oral medicaments has been studied. The most common group of contaminants was members of the genus Bacillus (34.4%). Because of the pathogenic significance of B. cereus, 39 strains were characterized by morphology and biochemical properties. All except three showed most of the characteristics of the type strain. They were highly resistant to lincomycin, polymyxin B and penicillin G-cephalosporin and were susceptible to streptomycin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol. Enterotoxin, phospholipase C and haemolysin production were also studied: 33 strains gave a positive vascular permeability reaction, four of them causing necrosis, and 24 showed positive mouse lethal tests. All the strains had phospholipase activity. The majority also exhibited differing degrees of haemolysis. Permeability factor was related to mouse lethality and haemolytic activity. Phospholipase C was not related to any of the above activities.     

Protease activation of the entomocidal protoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki.

Two isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki were examined which produced different levels of intracellular proteases. Although the crystals from both strains had comparable toxicity, one of the strains, LB1, had a strong polypeptide band at 68,000 molecular weight in the protein from the crystal; in the other, HD251, no such band was evident. When the intracellular proteases in both strains were measured, strain HD251 produced less than 10% of the proteolytic activity found in LB1. These proteases were primarily neutral metalloproteases, although low levels of other proteases were detected. In LB1, the synthesis of protease increased as the cells began to sporulate; however, in HD251, protease activity appeared much later in the sporulation cycle. The protease activity in strain LB1 was very high when the cells were making crystal toxin, whereas in HD251 reduced proteolytic activity was present during crystal toxin synthesis. The insecticidal toxin (molecular weight, 68,000) from both strains could be prepared by cleaving the protoxin (molecular weight, 135,000) with trypsin, followed by ion-exchange chromatography. The procedure described gave quantitative recovery of toxic activity, and approximately half of the total protein was recovered. Calculations show that these results correspond to stoichiometric conversion of protoxin to insecticidal toxin. The toxicities of whole crystals, soluble crystal protein, and purified toxin from both strains were comparable.     

Protease activation of the entomocidal protoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki

Two isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki were examined which produced different levels of intracellular proteases. Although the crystals from both strains had comparable toxicity, one of the strains, LB1, had a strong polypeptide band at 68,000 molecular weight in the protein from the crystal; in the other, HD251, no such band was evident. When the intracellular proteases in both strains were measured, strain HD251 produced less than 10% of the proteolytic activity found in LB1. These proteases were primarily neutral metalloproteases, although low levels of other proteases were detected. In LB1, the synthesis of protease increased as the cells began to sporulate; however, in HD251, protease activity appeared much later in the sporulation cycle. The protease activity in strain LB1 was very high when the cells were making crystal toxin, whereas in HD251 reduced proteolytic activity was present during crystal toxin synthesis. The insecticidal toxin (molecular weight, 68,000) from both strains could be prepared by cleaving the protoxin (molecular weight, 135,000) with trypsin, followed by ion-exchange chromatography. The procedure described gave quantitative recovery of toxic activity, and approximately half of the total protein was recovered. Calculations show that these results correspond to stoichiometric conversion of protoxin to insecticidal toxin. The toxicities of whole crystals, soluble crystal protein, and purified toxin from both strains were comparable.     

Production of extracellular proteases by human pathogenic Trichoderma longibrachiatum strains

Species belonging to the filamentous fungal genus Trichoderma are well known as potential candidates for the biological control of plant pathogenic fungi and as cellulase producers of biotechnological importance. Several data were published in the last decade also about the clinical importance of this genus, indicating that Trichoderma strains may be potential opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients. However, there is a lack of information about the potential virulence factors of clinical Trichoderma strains. This study was designed to examine the extracellular proteolytic enzymes of six clinical T. longibrachiatum isolates. Supernatants from induced liquid cultures of the examined strains were screened for proteolytic enzyme activities with 11 different chromogenic p-nitroaniline substrates. The production of trypsin-like, chymotrypsin-like and chymoelastase-like protease activities cleaving N-Benzoyl-L-Phe-L-Val-L-Arg-p-nitroanilide, N-Succinyl-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-L-Phe-p-nitroanilide, and N-Succinyl-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-L-Leu-p-nitroanilide, respectively, was common among the strains examined. Separation of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities by column chromatography revealed, that both systems are complex consisting of several isoenzymes. The pH-dependence of these two protease systems was also studied. Based on the results, the different isoenzymes seem to have different optimal pH values. Extracellular proteolytic enzymes may be involved in the pathogenecity of Trichoderma strains as facultative human pathogens.