Real-time characterization of virulence factor expression in Yersinia pestis using a GFP reporter system

A real-time reporter system was developed to monitor the thermal induction of virulence factors in Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of plague. The reporter system consists of a plasmid in Y. pestis in which the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is under the control of the promoters for six virulence factors, yopE, sycE, yopK, yopT, yscN, and lcrE yopN, which are all components of the Type III secretion virulence mechanism of Y. pestis. Induction of the expression of these genes in vivo was determined by the increase in fluorescence intensity of GFP in real time, in 96-well format. Different basal levels of expression at 26 degrees C were observed for the Y. pestis promoters. Expressed as percentages of the level measured for the lac promoter (positive control), the basal expression levels before temperature shift were: yopE (15%), sycE (15%), yopK (13%), yopT (4%), lcrE (3.3%), and yscN (0.8%). Following the shift in temperature from 26 to 37 degrees C, the rates of expression of these genes increased with the yopE reporter showing the strongest degree of induction. The rates of induction of the other virulence factors after the temperature, expressed as percentages of yopE induction, were: yopK (57%), sycE (9%), yscN (3%), lcrE (3%), and yopT (2%). The thermal induction of each of these promoter fusions was repressed by calcium, and the ratios of the initial rates of thermal induction without calcium supplementation compared to the rate with calcium supplementation were: yopE (11-fold), yscN (7-fold), yopK (6-fold), lcrE (3-fold), yopT (2-fold), and sycE (1-fold). This work demonstrates a novel approach to quantify gene induction and provides a method to rapidly determine the effects of external stimuli on expression of Y. pestis virulence factors in real time, in living cells, as a means to characterize virulence determinants.     

Proteomic characterization of Yersinia pestis virulence

The Yersinia pestis proteome was studied as a function of temperature and calcium by two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis. Over 4,100 individual protein spots were detected, of which hundreds were differentially expressed. A total of 43 differentially expressed protein spots, representing 24 unique proteins, were identified by mass spectrometry. Differences in expression were observed for several virulence-associated factors, including catalase-peroxidase (KatY), murine toxin (Ymt), plasminogen activator (Pla), and F1 capsule antigen (Caf1), as well as several putative virulence factors and membrane-bound and metabolic proteins. Differentially expressed proteins not previously reported to contribute to virulence are candidates for more detailed mechanistic studies, representing potential new virulence determinants.     

鼠疫菌毒力调控研究

鼠疫菌通过一系列转录调控子(如CRP、PhoP、RovA和Fur)控制着一些关键毒力因子(如Pla、强毒力岛、III型分泌系统等)的基因表达。鼠疫菌可感应宿主体内信号刺激,紧密调控毒力因子的表达。在这个紧密调控过程中,调控子、毒力相关基因构成了一个动态网络。鼠疫菌在从假结核菌祖先演化的进程中,基因表达调控网络的重塑在鼠疫菌毒力进化过程中发挥着不可取代的作用。     

Biomarker candidate identification in Yersinia pestis using organism-wide semiquantitative proteomics

The accurate mass and time tag mass spectrometry method and clustering analysis were used to compare the abundance change of 992 Yersinia pestis proteins under four contrasting growth conditions (26 and 37 degrees C, with or without Ca2+) that mimicked growth states in either a flea vector or mammalian host. Eighty-nine proteins were observed to have similar abundance change profiles to 29 known virulence associated proteins, providing identification of additional biomarker candidates. Eighty-seven hypothetical proteins, which clustered into 5 distinct clusters of like-protein abundance change, were identified as unique biomarkers related specifically to growth condition.     

Genetic analysis and simulation of the virulence of Yersinia pestis

The genetic analysis of Y. pestis virulence factors accomplished in the 358 strain isogenic system allowed us to determine a minimal set of known factors providing pathogenicity. The combination of chromosomal marker Pgm+ and calcium dependence plasmid (pCad) is shown to be sufficient for preserving the virulence of Y. pestis. Experimental modelling of virulence in this microorganism by the genetic exchange methods was carried out. The reduced virulence of the strains Pgm+ and pCad+ for guinea pigs was detected.     

Yersinia pestis kills Caenorhabditis elegans by a biofilm-independent process that involves novel virulence factors

It is known that Yersinia pestis kills Caenorhabditis elegans by a biofilm-dependent mechanism that is similar to the mechanism used by the pathogen to block food intake in the flea vector. Using Y. pestis KIM 5, which lacks the genes that are required for biofilm formation, we show that Y. pestis can kill C. elegans by a biofilm-independent mechanism that correlates with the accumulation of the pathogen in the intestine. We used this novel Y. pestis-C. elegans pathogenesis system to show that previously known and unknown virulence-related genes are required for full virulence in C. elegans. Six Y. pestis mutants with insertions in genes that are not related to virulence before were isolated using C. elegans. One of the six mutants carried an insertion in a novel virulence gene and showed significantly reduced virulence in a mouse model of Y. pestis pathogenesis. Our results indicate that the Y. pestis-C. elegans pathogenesis system that is described here can be used to identify and study previously uncharacterized Y. pestis gene products required for virulence in mammalian systems.     

Rapid discovery and identification of a tissue-specific tumor biomarker from 39 human cancer cell lines using the SELDI ProteinChip platform

Useful biomarkers are needed for early detection of cancers. To demonstrate the potential diagnostic usefulness of a new proteomic technology, we performed Expression Difference Mapping analysis on 39 cancer cell lines from 9 different tissues using ProteinChip technology. A protein biomarker candidate of 12kDa was found in colon cancer cells. We then optimized the purification conditions for this biomarker by utilizing Retentate Chromatography mass spectrometry (RC-MS). The optimized purification conditions developed "on-chip" were directly transferred to conventional chromatography to purify the biomarker, which was identified as prothymosin-alpha by ProteinChip time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) and ProteinChip-Tandem MS systems. The relative expression level of prothymosin-alpha between colon cancer cells and normal colon mucosal cells was evaluated on the same ProteinChip platform. Prothymosin-alpha expression in colon cancer cells was clearly higher than in normal colon cells. These results indicate that prothymosin-alpha could be a potential biomarker for colon cancer, and that the ProteinChip platform could perform the whole process of biomarker discovery from screening to evaluation of the identified marker.     

Rapid identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of Yersinia pestis using bioluminescent reporter phage

The rapid identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of Yersinia pestis is paramount for a positive prognosis. We previously engineered a Y. pestis-specific 'bioluminescent' reporter phage for the identification of Y. pestis. In this study, we generated an improved reporter phage and evaluated the ability of this phage to provide direct and rapid susceptibility testing. Compared to the first generation reporter, the second generation reporter exhibited a 100-fold increase in signal strength, leading to a 10-fold increase in assay sensitivity. Y. pestis antimicrobial testing in the presence of the reporter elicited bioluminescent signals that were drug concentration-dependent, and produced susceptibility profiles that mirrored the standard CLSI method. The phage-generated susceptibility profiles, however, were obtained within hours in contrast to days with the conventional method.     

Crystal structure of ferric-yersiniabactin, a virulence factor of Yersinia pestis

Yersiniabactin (Ybt), the siderophore produced by Yersinia pestis, has been crystallized successfully in the ferric complex form and the crystal structure has been determined. The crystals are orthorhombic with a space group of P2(1)2(1)2(1) and four distinct molecules per unit cell with cell dimensions of a=11.3271(+/-0.0003)A, b=22.3556(+/-0.0006)A, and c=39.8991(+/-0.0011)A. The crystal structure of ferric Ybt shows that the ferric ion is coordinated as a 1:1 complex by three nitrogen electron pairs and three negatively charged oxygen atoms with a distorted octahedral coordination. The molecule displays a Delta absolute configuration with chiral centers at N2, C9, C10, C12, C13, and C19 in R, R, R, R, S, S configurations, respectively. Few of the crystal structures of siderophores have been solved, and those which have been are of simple hydroxamate and catechol types such as ferrioxamine B and agrobactin. To our knowledge this is the first report of the ferric crystal structure of 5-member heterocycle siderophore.     

The Yfe system of Yersinia pestis transports iron and manganese and is required for full virulence of plague

Iron acquisition in Yersinia pestis is fundamental to the success of plague pathogenesis. We have previously identified an approximately 5.6 kb region (yfe) of Y. pestis genomic DNA, capable of restoring iron-deficient growth but not siderophore production to an Escherichia coli mutant (SAB11) incapable of synthesizing the siderophore, enterobactin. The yfe locus of Y. pestis, found in both pigmented (Pgm+) and nonpigmented (Pgm-) strains, comprises five genes arranged in two distinct operons (yfeA-D and yfeE ). The larger of these, yfeABCD, encodes an ABC transport system, whose expression is iron and Fur regulated and is repressed in cells grown in the presence of manganese. Cells from a Pgm-, Yfe- (DeltayfeAB ) mutant strain of Y. pestis exhibited reduced transport of both 55Fe and 54Mn. Furthermore, cells containing an intact yfe locus showed reduced 55Fe uptake when competing amounts of MnCl2 or ZnCl2 were present, whereas 54Mn uptake was inhibited by FeCl3 but not by ZnCl2. Similarly, yfe mutants of Y. pestis exhibited growth defects on media supplemented with the iron chelators 2,2'-dipyridyl or conalbumin. These growth defects were not relieved by supplementation with MnCl2. A ybt-, DeltayfeAB mutant of Y. pestis was completely avirulent in mice infected intravenously (LD50 > 1.7 x 107 cfu) compared with its parental ybt-, yfe+ strain, which had an LD50 of < 12. In addition, compared with its ybt+, yfe+ parent, a ybt+, DeltayfeAB mutant of Y. pestis had an approximately 100-fold increase in the LD50 from a subcutaneous route of infection. These data suggest that the Yfe and Ybt systems may function effectively to accumulate iron during different stages of the infectious process of bubonic plague.     

Using the SELDI ProteinChip system to detect changes in protein expression in Vero cells after infection

Human herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) causes facial, ocular, and encephalitic disease and is associated with latent infection and cancer. Here, we developed a means of studying the pathogenesis of HSV-1 infection at the protein level by using the SELDI Protein Chip to detect changes of protein expression in Vero cells cultured in vitro. After infection with HSV-1 and culture for 12, 24 or 48 h, cells were harvested and lysed. IMAC3 arrays were applied to SELDI-TOF-MS to detect proteomic differences before and after infection. The chip detected a series of differentially expressed protein peaks. Inte-restingly, both peaks at 16 912 Da and 17 581 Da corresponded precisely with the molecular mass of ISG15, which may participate in antiviral activity during the process of infection. Thus, the results we obtained can serve as a basis to study the pathogenesis of HSV-1 and the interaction between the virus and its host. In addition, they can help in the discovery of new therapeutic targets for treatment of HSV-1 infection.     

Novel genetic tools for diaminopimelic acid selection in virulence studies of Yersinia pestis

Molecular studies of bacterial virulence are enhanced by expression of recombinant DNA during infection to allow complementation of mutants and expression of reporter proteins in vivo. For highly pathogenic bacteria, such as Yersinia pestis, these studies are currently limited because deliberate introduction of antibiotic resistance is restricted to those few which are not human treatment options. In this work, we report the development of alternatives to antibiotics as tools for host-pathogen research during Yersinia pestis infections focusing on the diaminopimelic acid (DAP) pathway, a requirement for cell wall synthesis in eubacteria. We generated a mutation in the dapA-nlpB(dapX) operon of Yersinia pestis KIM D27 and CO92 which eliminated the expression of both genes. The resulting strains were auxotrophic for diaminopimelic acid and this phenotype was complemented in trans by expressing dapA in single and multi-copy. In vivo, we found that plasmids derived from the p15a replicon were cured without selection, while selection for DAP enhanced stability without detectable loss of any of the three resident virulence plasmids. The dapAX mutation rendered Y. pestis avirulent in mouse models of bubonic and septicemic plague which could be complemented when dapAX was inserted in single or multi-copy, restoring development of disease that was indistinguishable from the wild type parent strain. We further identified a high level, constitutive promoter in Y. pestis that could be used to drive expression of fluorescent reporters in dapAX strains that had minimal impact to virulence in mouse models while enabling sensitive detection of bacteria during infection. Thus, diaminopimelic acid selection for single or multi-copy genetic systems in Yersinia pestis offers an improved alternative to antibiotics for in vivo studies that causes minimal disruption to virulence.     

应用肽核酸探针检测鼠疫耶尔森氏菌

目的:利用特异的肽核酸(PNA)探针、链霉亲和素包被的磁珠和cy5纳米颗粒,通过荧光扫描技术,建立一种特异、快速、准确地检测鼠疫耶尔森氏菌的方法。方法:针对鼠疫耶尔森氏菌pMT1质粒上的caf1基因设计并合成一对特异PNA探针,经生物素标记后,分别与链霉亲和素包被的磁珠和cy5纳米颗粒结合;将探针与待测鼠疫耶尔森氏菌的基因组DNA杂交后,利用荧光扫描技术进行检测。探讨了多个实验因素对测定的影响,并进行了特异性和灵敏度检测。结果:建立并优化了利用PNA探针检测鼠疫耶尔森氏菌的方法,得到较好的线性关系;检测的灵敏度为0.9μg/mL(待测DNA)。结论:PNA探针与靶基因的结合不易受杂交液离子强度的影响,结合后具有较高的稳定性。本研究建立的分析方法能够灵敏、特异、稳定地对鼠疫耶尔森氏菌进行定量检测,为鼠疫的监控、诊断提供了有力手段。     

Acquisition of omptin reveals cryptic virulence function of autotransporter YapE in Yersinia pestis

Autotransporters, the largest family of secreted proteins in Gram‐negative bacteria, perform a variety of functions, including adherence, cytotoxicity and immune evasion. In Yersinia pestis the autotransporter YapE has adhesive properties and contributes to disease in the mouse model of bubonic plague. Here, we demonstrate that omptin cleavage of Y. pestis YapE is required to mediate bacterial aggregation and adherence to eukaryotic cells. We demonstrate that omptin cleavage is specific for the Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis YapE orthologues but is not conserved in the Yersinia enterocolitica protein. We also show that cleavage of YapE occurs in Y. pestis but not in the enteric Yersinia species, and requires the omptin Pla (plasminogen activator protease), which is encoded on the Y. pestis‐specific plasmid pPCP1. Together, these data show that post‐translation modification of YapE appears to be specific to Y. pestis, was acquired along with the acquisition of pPCP1 during the divergence of Y. pestis from Y. pseudotuberculosis, and are the first evidence of a novel mechanism to regulate bacterial adherence.     

Detection of viable Yersinia pestis by fluorescence in situ hybridization using peptide nucleic acid probes

A successful method has been developed for the detection of live Yersinia pestis, the plague bacillus, which incorporates nascent RNA synthesis. A fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assay using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes was developed specifically to differentiate Y. pestis strains from closely related bacteria. PNA probes were chosen to target high copy mRNA of the Y. pestis caf1 gene, encoding the Fraction 1 (F1) antigen, and 16S ribosomal RNA. Among Yersinia strains tested, PNA probes Yp-16S-426 and Yp-F1-55 exhibited binding specificities of 100% and 98%, respectively. Y. pestis grown in the presence of competing bacteria, as might be encountered when recovering Y. pestis from environmental surfaces in a post-release bioterrorism event, was recognized by PNA probes and neither hybridization nor fluorescence was inhibited by competing bacterial strains which exhibited faster growth rates. Using fluorescence microscopy, individual Y. pestis bacteria were clearly differentiated from competing bacteria with an average detection sensitivity of 7.9x10(3) cells by fluorescence microscopy. In the current system, this would require an average of 2.56x10(5) viable Y. pestis organisms be recovered from a post-release environmental sample in order to achieve the minimum threshold for detection. The PNA-FISH assays described in this study allow for the sensitive and specific detection of viable Y. pestis bacteria in a timely manner.     

地高辛标记的Northern blot检测鼠疫菌sRNA

[目的]随着高通量测序方法的应用,越来越多的sRNA (small non-coding RNA,sRNA)需验证.本研究建立用地高辛标记Northern blot检测鼠疫菌sRNA的技术,为细菌sRNA验证提供一种灵敏、特异的方法.[方法]在低铁条件下,提取鼠疫菌总RNA,10％ dPAGE分离后电转到尼龙膜上并用紫外线交联RNA.膜经地高辛标记RyhB1或RyhB2寡核苷酸RNA探针过夜杂交后洗脱、封闭和免疫检测,最后曝光显影.[结果]地高辛标记的Northern blot曝光时间为20 s-3 min,RyhB1或RyhB2检测灵敏度分别为0.005 μg和0.05 μg.RyhB1或RyhB2探针特异性好,相互间无交叉反应.带正电或中性的尼龙膜都适用于杂交反应.RNA探针在42℃-65℃内杂交均可,提高温度可减少非特异性反应;而DNA探针杂交温度需摸索.[结论]本研究成功构建一种地高辛标记Northern blot检测鼠疫菌sRNA技术,具有特异性好、灵敏度高、探针易保存、曝光时间短等优点,为细菌sRNA验证和功能研究提供有利工具.     

鼠疫抗原LcrV在乳酸乳球菌中的表达与鉴定

目的以乳酸乳球菌(Lactococcus lactis)为载体,将鼠疫抗原LcrV基因导入乳酸乳球菌内,构建重组肠道微生态菌株,作为黏膜免疫疫苗的先期探索和尝试。方法采用酸诱导P170启动子,乳酸乳球菌本身的SP310mut2信号肽,将鼠疫杆菌LcrV抗原结构基因克隆到质粒pAM J397上,电转化感受态Lactococcus lactis PSM565。结果经重组子PCR鉴定,SDS-PAGE检测,W estern-b lot鉴定,在Lactococcus lactisPSM565/pAM J397-V培养基上清中获得了38 kD的鼠疫抗原LcrV蛋白。结论在乳酸乳球菌中成功表达了鼠疫V抗原,为下一步鼠疫黏膜疫苗的研制打下基础。