Swarming populations of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella</Emphasis> represent a unique physiological state coupled to multiple mechanisms of antibiotic resistance

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is capable of swarming over semi-solid surfaces. Although its swarming behavior shares many readily observable similarities with other swarming bacteria, the phenomenon remains somewhat of an enigma in this bacterium since some attributes skew away from the better characterized systems. Swarming is quite distinct from the classic swimming motility, as there is a prerequisite for cells to first undergo a morphological transformation into swarmer cells. In some organisms, swarming is controlled by quorum sensing, and in others, swarming has been shown to be coupled to increased expression of important virulence factors. Swarming in serovar Typhimurium is coupled to elevated resistance to a wide variety of structurally and functionally distinct classes of antimicrobial compounds. As serovar Typhimurium differentiates into swarm cells, thepmrHFIJKLM operon is up-regulated, resulting in a more positively charged LPS core. Furthermore, as swarm cells begin to de-differentiate, thepmr operon expression is down-regulated, rapidly reaching the levels observed in swim cells. This is one potential mechanism which confers swarm cells increased resistance to antibiotics such as the cationic antimicrobial peptides. However, additional mechanisms are likely associated with the cells in the swarm state that confer elevated resistance to such a broad spectrum of antimicrobial agents. Published: September 26, 2003     

细菌群集运动特性的研究进展

群集运动(swarming motility)是细菌以群体方式协调性地依靠鞭毛和Ⅳ型菌毛(type Ⅳ pili,TFP)在半固体表面共同运动,是一种典型的协同运动。群集运动因其与生物被膜、子实体的形成、病原体的侵入和微生物的扩散及共生等过程都有着密切的关系而备受人们的关注,是当前微生物领域的一个研究热点。人们对细菌群集运动开展了大量的研究,包括群集运动中关键蛋白表达的变化、细胞间化学交流的变化以及机械性变化等。鞭毛蛋白的表达以及胞内环二鸟苷酸(cyclic diguanosine monophosphate,c-di-GMP)的水平等会对群集运动产生一定的影响,在菌落中复杂地调控着细菌集体行为;群集运动细胞独特的物理性质表现有益于菌落整体的扩张;细菌周围生长环境中的营养和水分含量等因素也在不同程度上影响细菌群集运动的能力。未来,在解析群集运动分子机制的基础上,如何构建一个统一的群集运动模型成为该领域研究面临的一个挑战。     

Swarming of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is dependent on cell-to-cell signaling and requires flagella and pili

We describe swarming in Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a third mode of surface translocation in addition to the previously described swimming and twitching motilities. Swarming in P. aeruginosa is induced on semisolid surfaces (0.5 to 0.7% agar) under conditions of nitrogen limitation and in response to certain amino acids. Glutamate, aspartate, histidine, or proline, when provided as the sole source of nitrogen, induced swarming, while arginine, asparagine, and glutamine, among other amino acids, did not sustain swarming. Cells from the edge of the swarm were about twice as long as cells from the swarm center. In both instances, bacteria possessing two polar flagella were observed by light and electron microscopy. While a fliC mutant of P. aeruginosa displayed slightly diminished swarming, a pilR and a pilA mutant, both deficient in type IV pili, were unable to swarm. Furthermore, cells with mutations in the las cell-to-cell signaling system showed diminished swarming behavior, while rhl mutants were completely unable to swarm. Evidence is presented for rhamnolipids being the actual surfactant involved in swarming motility, which explains the involvement of the cell-to-cell signaling circuitry of P. aeruginosa in this type of surface motility.     

Extracellular proteolytic activity plays a central role in swarming motility in Bacillus subtilis

Natural isolates of Bacillus subtilis exhibit a robust multicellular behavior known as swarming. A form of motility, swarming is characterized by a rapid, coordinated progression of a bacterial population across a surface. As a collective bacterial process, swarming is often associated with biofilm formation and has been linked to virulence factor expression in pathogenic bacteria. While the swarming phenotype has been well documented for Bacillus species, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible remains largely isolated to gram-negative bacteria. To better understand how swarming is controlled in members of the genus Bacillus, we investigated the effect of a series of gene deletions on swarm motility. Our analysis revealed that a strain deficient for the production of surfactin and extracellular proteolytic activity did not swarm or form biofilm. While it is known that surfactin, a lipoprotein surfactant, functions in swarming motility by reducing surface tension, this is the first report demonstrating that general extracellular protease activity also has an important function. These results not only help to define the factors involved in eliciting swarm migration but support the idea that swarming and biofilm formation may have overlapping control mechanisms.     

The sensor kinase CbrA is a global regulator that modulates metabolism, virulence, and antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that possesses a large arsenal of virulence factors enabling the pathogen to cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients, burn victims, and cystic fibrosis patients. CbrA is a sensor kinase that has previously been implied to play a role with its cognate response regulator CbrB in the metabolic regulation of carbon and nitrogen utilization in P. aeruginosa. Here it is demonstrated that CbrA and CbrB play an important role in various virulence and virulence-related processes of the bacteria, including swarming, biofilm formation, cytotoxicity, and antibiotic resistance. The cbrA deletion mutant was completely unable to swarm while exhibiting an increase in biofilm formation, supporting the inverse regulation of swarming and biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa. The cbrA mutant also exhibited increased cytotoxicity to human lung epithelial cells as early as 4 and 6 h postinfection. Furthermore, the cbrA mutant demonstrated increased resistance toward a variety of clinically important antibiotics, including polymyxin B, ciprofloxacin, and tobramycin. Microarray analysis revealed that under swarming conditions, CbrA regulated the expression of many genes, including phoPQ, pmrAB, arnBCADTEF, dnaK, and pvdQ, consistent with the antibiotic resistance and swarming impairment phenotypes of the cbrA mutant. Phenotypic and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses of a PA14 cbrB mutant suggested that CbrA may be modulating swarming, biofilm formation, and cytotoxicity via CbrB and that the CrcZ small RNA is likely downstream of this two-component regulator. However, as CbrB did not have a resistance phenotype, CbrA likely modulates antibiotic resistance in a manner independent of CbrB.     

Swarming motility in undomesticated Bacillus subtilis

Swarming motility was identified and characterized in an undomesticated strain of Bacillus subtilis. Rapid surface migration was preceded by a cell density-dependent lag period, which could be eliminated if actively swarming cells were used as the inoculum. The leading edge of the swarm was characterized by multicellular rafts of highly flagellated cells. Flagellum biosynthesis and surfactant production were required for swarming. Swarming was not found in any of several standard laboratory strains. Laboratory strains are characteristically unable to produce surfactant, but such a strain remained unable to swarm even when surfactant was provided by extracellular complementation. We conclude that robust swarming is a feature of undomesticated B. subtilis and that this behaviour has been lost or attenuated in laboratory strains through the accumulation of multiple genetic defects.     

铜绿假单胞菌PAO1中c-di-GMP代谢相关基因PA0575对表型的影响

【背景】铜绿假单胞菌PAO1中存在与环鸟苷二磷酸(cyclic-di-guanosine monophosphate,c-di-GMP)代谢相关基因PA0575。【目的】探讨铜绿假单胞菌PAO1中环鸟苷二磷酸代谢相关基因PA0575对运动能力及生物膜的影响。【方法】通过PCR对菌株遗传背景进行确认;利用刚果红结合实验及电转PcdrA-gfp质粒间接测量胞内c-di-GMP水平;利用泳动性(swimming)、蜂群泳动(swarming)、蹭行运动(twiching)和生物膜定量实验对细菌进行表型分析,并在运动培养基中添加抗生素研究其对运动能力的影响;针对PA0575基因进行融合蛋白表达载体的构建,并对蛋白进行原核诱导表达。【结果】3株突变体菌株的转座子插入突变位点不一致,胞内c-di-GMP水平检测结果显示,PA0575-1菌株的c-di-GMP含量高于野生型PAO1菌株(P0.05),PA0575-2、PA0575-3菌株胞内c-di-GMP水平与野生型PAO1菌株无差异(P0.05)。运动能力检测实验中,与野生型PAO1菌株相比,PA0575-1菌株泳动性增强(P0.05);PA0575-2、PA0575-3菌株的泳动性、蜂群运动均增强(P0.05);该基因不同位点的突变均导致氯霉素对菌株的运动能力产生抑制作用。生物膜定量结果显示,与野生型PAO1菌株相比,细菌培养18 h后PA0575-1的生物膜含量降低(P0.05),PA0575-2、PA0575-3菌株的生物膜含量升高。最后成功构建了PA0575基因不同结构域的8个表达载体,并获得了异源表达蛋白。【结论】PA0575基因降低铜绿假单胞菌胞内c-di-GMP的水平,影响表型的同时也抑制了氯霉素抗性基因的表达。以上研究为PA0575基因对表型的影响奠定了基础。     

Swarming motility by Photorhabdus temperata is influenced by environmental conditions and uses the same flagella as that used in swimming motility

Photorhabdus temperata, an insect pathogen and nematode symbiont, is motile in liquid medium by swimming. We found that P.?temperata was capable of surface movement, termed swarming behavior. Several lines of evidence indicate that P. temperata use the same flagella for both swimming and swarming motility. Both motility types required additional NaCl or KCl in the medium and had peritrichous flagella, which were composed of the same flagellin as detected by immunoblotting experiments. Mutants defective in flagellar structural proteins were nonmotile for both motility types. Unlike swimming, we observed swarming behavior to be a social form of movement in which the cells coordinately formed intricate channels covering a surface. The constituents of the swarm media affected motility. Swarming was optimal on low agar concentrations; as agar concentrations increased, swarm ring diameters decreased.     

Gene expression patterns during swarming in Salmonella typhimurium: genes specific to surface growth and putative new motility and pathogenicity genes

Swarming is a specialized form of surface motility displayed by several flagellated bacterial genera, which shares features with other surface phenomenon such as biofilm formation and host invasion. Swarmer cells are generally more flagellated and longer than vegetative cells of the same species propagated in liquid media, and move within an encasement of polysaccharide 'slime'. Signals and signalling pathways controlling swarm cell differentiation are largely unknown. In order to test whether there is a genetic programme specific to swarming, we have determined global gene expression profiles of Salmonella typhimurium over an 8 h time course during swarming, and compared the microarray data with a similar time course of growth in liquid media as well as on harder agar where the bacteria do not swarm. Our data show that bacteria growing on the surface of agar have a markedly different physiology from those in broth, as judged by differential regulation of nearly one-third of the functional genome. The large number of genes showing surface-specific upregulation included those for lipopolysaccharide synthesis, iron metabolism and type III secretion. Although swarming-specific induction of flagellar gene expression was not generally apparent, genes for iron metabolism were strongly induced specifically on swarm agar. Surface-dependent regulation of many virulence genes suggests that growth on an agar surface could serve as a model for gene expression during the initial stages of host infection. Based on cluster analysis of distinctive expression patterns, we report here the identification of putative new genes involved in motility and virulence.     

Swarming of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a complex adaptation leading to increased production of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance

In addition to exhibiting swimming and twitching motility, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is able to swarm on semisolid (viscous) surfaces. Recent studies have indicated that swarming is a more complex type of motility influenced by a large number of different genes. To investigate the adaptation process involved in swarming motility, gene expression profiles were analyzed by performing microarrays on bacteria from the leading edge of a swarm zone compared to bacteria growing in identical medium under swimming conditions. Major shifts in gene expression patterns were observed under swarming conditions, including, among others, the overexpression of a large number of virulence-related genes such as those encoding the type III secretion system and its effectors, those encoding extracellular proteases, and those associated with iron transport. In addition, swarming cells exhibited adaptive antibiotic resistance against polymyxin B, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin compared to what was seen for their planktonic (swimming) counterparts. By analyzing a large subset of up-regulated genes, we were able to show that two virulence genes, lasB and pvdQ, were required for swarming motility. These results clearly favored the conclusion that swarming of P. aeruginosa is a complex adaptation process in response to a viscous environment resulting in a substantial change in virulence gene expression and antibiotic resistance.     

Tannin derived materials can block swarming motility and enhance biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Surface-associated swarming motility is implicated in enhanced bacterial spreading and virulence, hence it follows that anti-swarming effectors could have clinical benefits. When investigating potential applications of anti-swarming materials it is important to consider whether the lack of swarming corresponds with an enhanced sessile biofilm lifestyle and resistance to antibiotics. In this study, well-defined tannins present in multiple plant materials (tannic acid (TA) and epigallocathecin gallate (EGCG)) and undefined cranberry powder (CP) were found to block swarming motility and enhance biofilm formation and resistance to tobramycin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In contrast, gallic acid (GA) did not completely block swarming motility and did not affect biofilm formation or tobramycin resistance. These data support the theory that nutritional conditions can elicit an inverse relationship between swarming motility and biofilm formation capacities. Although anti-swarmers exhibit the potential to yield clinical benefits, it is important to be aware of possible implications regarding biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance.     

一株奇异变形杆菌对铜绿假单胞菌多细胞行为的抑制作用*

摘要目的：抗生素耐药性成为了全球性的健康问题。研究发现病原菌的多细胞行为在抗生素的耐药性中起着至关重要的作用 （尤其是生物膜）,因而通过抑制多细胞行为而控制耐药性成为当务之急。本文以奇异变形杆菌（Proteus Mirabilis ）为研究对象,考 察它的发酵滤液对一种机会致病菌———铜绿假单胞菌（ Pseudomonas aeruginose）多细胞行为的作用,以期得到一株多细胞行为抑 制菌：在不影响 P.aeruginosa 生长的前提下,抑制生物膜形成、EPS 产生以及定向丛集运动,解除保护,减缓扩散,为降低P.aeruginosa 耐药性,增强抗生素作用效果提供可能。方法：采用结晶紫生物膜测定法、蒽酮-硫酸法、平板检测法,探究P.aeruginosa 发酵滤 液对P.aeruginosa 生物膜、胞外多聚物、定向丛集运动和生长的影响。结果： P.aeruginosa 发酵滤液能显著抑制生物膜 量,在体积百分比浓度为1 %时,抑制率可达60.9 %。该菌的发酵滤液还能阻碍的定向丛集运动,减弱它的吸附和扩 散运动;同时,也减少了P.aeruginosa 胞外多聚物的产量,在滤液体积百分比浓度为1 %时,抑制率达到45.9%。更重要的是,固体 平板实验证明该发酵滤液对P.aeruginosa 的生长没有影响。结论： 在不影响病原菌生长的前提下,对病原菌的多细胞 行为有一定的控制作用。其发酵滤液中存在着抑制微生物膜、定向丛集运动等的成分,在治疗细菌感染性疾病和降低抗生素耐药 性方面有潜在应用价值。     

Genetic Determinants of Swarming in Rhizobium etli

Swarming motility is considered to be a social phenomenon that enables groups of bacteria to move coordinately atop solid surfaces. The differentiated swarmer cell population is embedded in an extracellular slime layer, and the phenomenon has previously been linked with biofilm formation and virulence. The gram-negative nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Rhizobium etli CNPAF512 was previously shown to display swarming behavior on soft agar plates. In a search for novel genetic determinants of swarming, a detailed analysis of the swarming behavior of 700 miniTn5 mutants of R. etli was performed. Twenty-four mutants defective in swarming or displaying abnormal swarming patterns were identified and could be divided into three groups based on their swarming pattern. Fourteen mutants were completely swarming deficient, five mutants showed an atypical swarming pattern with no completely smooth edge and local extrusions, and five mutants displayed an intermediate swarming phenotype. Sequence analysis of the targeted genes indicated that the mutants were likely affected in quorum-sensing, polysaccharide composition or export, motility, and amino acid and polyamines metabolism. Several of the identified mutants displayed a reduced symbiotic nitrogen fixation activity.     

一株奇异变形杆菌对铜绿假单胞菌多细胞行为的抑制作用

目的：抗生素耐药性成为了全球性的健康问题。研究发现病原菌的多细胞行为在抗生素的耐药性中起着至关重要的作用（尤其是生物膜）,因而通过抑制多细胞行为而控制耐药性成为当务之急。本文以奇异变形杆菌（Proteus mirabilis）为研究对象,考察它的发酵滤液对一种机会致病菌——铜绿假单胞菌（Pseudomonas aeruginosa）多细胞行为的作用,以期得到一株多细胞行为抑制菌：在不影响Paerugiliosa生长的前提下,抑制生物膜形成、EPS产生以及定向丛集运动,解除保护,减缓扩散,为降低Paemgi—nosa耐药性,增强抗生素作用效果提供可能。方法：采用结晶紫生物膜测定法、蒽酮一硫酸法、平板检测法,探究Pmirabilis发酵滤液对Paemginosa生物膜、胞外多聚物、定向丛集运动和生长的影响。结果：Pmirabilis发酵滤液能显著抑制Paeruginosa生物膜量,在体积百分比浓度为1％时,抑制率可达60．9％。该菌的发酵滤液还能阻碍Paeruginosa的定向丛集运动,减弱它的吸附和扩散运动;同时,也减少了Pacrugillosa胞外多聚物的产量,在滤液体积百分比浓度为1％时,抑制率达到45．9％。更重要的是,固体平板实验证明该发酵滤液对P．aemginosa的生长没有影响。结论：Pmirabilis在不影响病原菌生长的前提下,对病原菌的多细胞行为有一定的控制作用。其发酵滤液中存在着抑制微生物膜、定向丛集运动等的成分,在治疗细菌感染性疾病和降低抗生素耐药性方面有潜在应用价值。     

Social interactions in myxobacterial swarming

Swarming, a collective motion of many thousands of cells, produces colonies that rapidly spread over surfaces. In this paper, we introduce a cell-based model to study how interactions between neighboring cells facilitate swarming. We chose to study Myxococcus xanthus, a species of myxobacteria, because it swarms rapidly and has well-defined cell–cell interactions mediated by type IV pili and by slime trails. The aim of this paper is to test whether the cell contact interactions, which are inherent in pili-based S motility and slime-based A motility, are sufficient to explain the observed expansion of wild-type swarms. The simulations yield a constant rate of swarm expansion, which has been observed experimentally. Also, the model is able to quantify the contributions of S motility and A motility to swarming. Some pathogenic bacteria spread over infected tissue by swarming. The model described here may shed some light on their colonization process.     

7-fluoroindole as an antivirulence compound against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The emergence of antibiotic resistance has necessitated new therapeutic approaches for combating persistent bacterial infection. An alternative approach is regulation of bacterial virulence instead of growth suppression, which can readily lead to drug resistance. The virulence of the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa depends on a large number of extracellular factors and biofilm formation. Thirty-one natural and synthetic indole derivatives were screened. 7-fluoroindole (7FI) was identified as a compound that inhibits biofilm formation and blood hemolysis without inhibiting the growth of planktonic P.?aeruginosa cells. Moreover, 7FI markedly reduced the production of quorum-sensing (QS)-regulated virulence factors 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone, pyocyanin, rhamnolipid, two siderophores, pyoverdine and pyochelin. 7FI clearly suppressed swarming motility, protease activity and the production of a polymeric matrix in P.?aeruginosa. However, unlike natural indole compounds, synthetic 7FI did not increase antibiotic resistance. Therefore, 7FI is a potential candidate for use in an antivirulence approach against persistent P.?aeruginosa infection.     

细菌显微追踪技术在生物被膜中的应用

细菌生物被膜是粘附于物体表面的由细菌细胞及其胞外物质组成的复杂膜样物聚集体,具有很强的耐药性和免疫逃逸能力。生物被膜内细菌的代谢活性、运动状态等与浮游细菌有明显区别。近年来,先进的显微成像技术结合新型图像处理方法,在研究细菌的运动、生理等方面发挥了重要作用。本文围绕生物被膜,概述了细菌显微追踪技术在其研究中的应用。主要从细菌的运动方式和生物被膜形成过程的调控两方面出发,介绍了在单细胞水平上利用该技术研究生物被膜的进展,包括细菌的游泳、蹭行、群集运动和多种信号通路调控下生物被膜的形成过程等,并展望了该技术在生物被膜其他相关研究领域的应用前景。