Search for live attenuated vaccine candidate against edwardsiellosis by mutating virulence-related genes of fish pathogen Edwardsiella tarda

Aims: The aims of this study were to construct and evaluate the live attenuated vaccine against edwardsiellosis on zebra fish model. Methods and Results: In this study, the deletion mutant of aroC gene for the biosynthesis of chorismic acid in Edwardsiella tarda EIB202 was firstly constructed by allelic exchange strategy. According to the genome information, 19 double mutants and one multiple mutant were successively constructed by deleting virulence‐associated genes based on the ΔaroC mutant. Zebra fish model was used to assay the virulence of the mutants by intramuscular (i.m.) injection. Fourteen mutants were significantly attenuated with accumulated mortality ranged from 0 to 63% (P < 0·05). The zebra fish vaccinated with ΔaroC, ΔaroCΔesrC, ΔaroCΔslyA and ΔaroCΔeseBCDΔesaC via i.m. injection showed ideal protection, resulting in relative per cent survival (RPS) of 68·3, 71·3, 80·1 and 81% against subsequent challenge with the wild‐type Edw. tarda EIB202. Conclusions: ΔaroCΔeseBCDΔesaC behaved a low virulence and the highest RPS on zebra fish model. When the zebra fish were vaccinated with ΔaroCΔeseBCDΔesaC via injection, the expression of immune‐related factors including IgM and MHC II was up‐regulated. Significance and Impact: The mutant ΔaroCΔeseBCDΔesaC might serve as an effective live attenuated vaccine against edwardsiellosis.     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Edwardsiella tarda rpoS</Emphasis>: effect on serum resistance,chondroitinase activity,biofilm formation,and autoinducer synthetases expression

In this study, rpoS gene was identified from Edwardsiella tarda EIB202 and its functional role was analyzed by using an in-frame deletion mutant ∆rpoS and the complemental strain rpoS ⁺. Compared with the wild type and rpoS ⁺, ∆rpoS was impaired in terms of the ability to survive under oxidative stress and nutrient starvation, as well as the resistance to 50% serum of Scophthalmus maximus in 3 h, demonstrating essential roles of RpoS in stress adaptation. The rpoS mutant also displayed markedly increased chondroitinase activity and biofilm formation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression level of quorum sensing autoinducer synthetase genes luxS and edwI was increased by 3.7- and 2.5-fold in the rpoS mutant strain. Those results suggested that rpoS might be involved in the negative or positive regulation of chondroitinase and biofilm formation, or quorum sensing networks in E. tarda, respectively. Although there were no obvious differences between the wild-type and the rpoS mutant in adherence of epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cell and in the lethality on fish model, rpoS deletion leads to the drastically reduced capacity for E. tarda to internalize in EPC cells, indicating that RpoS was, while not the main, the factor required for the virulence network of E. tarda.     

Comparative analysis of the roles of catalases KatB and KatG in the physiological fitness and pathogenesis of fish pathogen Edwardsiella tarda

Aims: The aim of this study was to reveal functional redundancy and variation of the two catalases KatB and KatG in Edwardsiella tarda. Methods and Results: Genome sequencing of fish pathogen Edw. tarda EIB202 reveals that it contains two genes putatively encoding catalases, katB (ETAE_1368) and katG (ETAE_0889). Under free‐living conditions, single disruption in katB or katG resulted in no growth impairment, whereas double mutation of the two genes led to moderate decrease in growth, indicating that these two catalases were together essential for the physiological fitness by dissipating the endogenous H₂O₂. katG mutant exhibited much more elevated sensitivity to exogenous H₂O₂ than katB mutant did, indicating that KatG was quasi‐essential in detoxifying external reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Edw. tarda EIB202. Further comparative analysis indicated that katB or katG disruption showed different effects on the virulence‐related processes of Edw. tarda such as haemolysin production, bile and serum resistance, as well as the internalization within fish epithelial cells. Moreover, both of the katB and katG mutants exhibited incapacity to replicate in murine macrophage J774 cell model, although the deficiency was seen much severe for ΔkatB/katG mutant. With regard to in vivo virulence, katB and katG mutants displayed delayed lethality and increased LD₅₀ values for zebrafish. Conclusions: KatB and KatG in Edw. tarda serve for the physiological fitness, and pathogenesis related the bacterial survival in macrophage and in vivo of fish. Significance and Impact of the Study: Counteracting ROS for systemic infection, Edw. tarda catalase KatG and KatB merits as potential targets for attenuated live vaccine construction.     

Maize Root Lectins Mediate the Interaction with Herbaspirillum seropedicae via N-Acetyl Glucosamine Residues of Lipopolysaccharides

Herbaspirillum seropedicae is a plant growth-promoting diazotrophic betaproteobacterium which associates with important crops, such as maize, wheat, rice and sugar-cane. We have previously reported that intact lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is required for H. seropedicae attachment and endophytic colonization of maize roots. In this study, we present evidence that the LPS biosynthesis gene waaL (codes for the O-antigen ligase) is induced during rhizosphere colonization by H. seropedicae. Furthermore a waaL mutant strain lacking the O-antigen portion of the LPS is severely impaired in colonization. Since N-acetyl glucosamine inhibits H. seropedicae attachment to maize roots, lectin-like proteins from maize roots (MRLs) were isolated and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis showed that MRL-1 and MRL-2 correspond to maize proteins with a jacalin-like lectin domain, while MRL-3 contains a B-chain lectin domain. These proteins showed agglutination activity against wild type H. seropedicae, but failed to agglutinate the waaL mutant strain. The agglutination reaction was severely diminished in the presence of N-acetyl glucosamine. Moreover addition of the MRL proteins as competitors in H. seropedicae attachment assays decreased 80-fold the adhesion of the wild type to maize roots. The results suggest that N-acetyl glucosamine residues of the LPS O-antigen bind to maize root lectins, an essential step for efficient bacterial attachment and colonization.     

Characterisation of the laccase-encoding gene abr2 of the dihydroxynaphthalene-like melanin gene cluster of Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus is an important pathogen of the immunocompromised host. Previously, it was shown that the polyketide synthase encoded by the pksP (alb1) gene represents a virulence determinant. pksP is part of a gene cluster involved in dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-like melanin biosynthesis. Because a putative laccase-encoding gene (abr2) is also part of the cluster and a laccase was found to represent a virulence factor in Cryptococcus neoformans, here, the Abr2 laccase was characterised. Deletion of the abr2 gene changed the gray-green conidial pigment to a brown color and the ornamentation of conidia was reduced compared with wild-type conidia. In contrast to the white pksP mutant, the susceptibility of the Δabr2 mutant against reactive oxygen species (ROS) was not increased, suggesting that the intermediate of DHN-like melanin produced up to the step catalysed by Abr2 already possesses ROS scavenging activity. In an intranasal mouse infection model, the Δabr2 mutant strain showed no reduction in virulence compared with the wild type. In the Δabr2 mutant, overall laccase activity was reduced only during sporulation, but not during vegetative growth. An abr2p-lacZ gene fusion was expressed during sporulation, but not during vegetative growth confirming the pattern of laccase activity due to Abr2.     

Genome Sequence of the Versatile Fish Pathogen Edwardsiella tarda Provides Insights into its Adaptation to Broad Host Ranges and Intracellular Niches

Background

Edwardsiella tarda is the etiologic agent of edwardsiellosis, a devastating fish disease prevailing in worldwide aquaculture industries. Here we describe the complete genome of E. tarda, EIB202, a highly virulent and multi-drug resistant isolate in China.

Methodology/Principal Findings

E. tarda EIB202 possesses a single chromosome of 3,760,463 base pairs containing 3,486 predicted protein coding sequences, 8 ribosomal rRNA operons, and 95 tRNA genes, and a 43,703 bp conjugative plasmid harboring multi-drug resistant determinants and encoding type IV A secretion system components. We identified a full spectrum of genetic properties related to its genome plasticity such as repeated sequences, insertion sequences, phage-like proteins, integrases, recombinases and genomic islands. In addition, analysis also indicated that a substantial proportion of the E. tarda genome might be devoted to the growth and survival under diverse conditions including intracellular niches, with a large number of aerobic or anaerobic respiration-associated proteins, signal transduction proteins as well as proteins involved in various stress adaptations. A pool of genes for secretion systems, pili formation, nonfimbrial adhesions, invasions and hemagglutinins, chondroitinases, hemolysins, iron scavenging systems as well as the incomplete flagellar biogenesis might feature its surface structures and pathogenesis in a fish body.

Conclusion/Significance

Genomic analysis of the bacterium offered insights into the phylogeny, metabolism, drug-resistance, stress adaptation, and virulence characteristics of this versatile pathogen, which constitutes an important first step in understanding the pathogenesis of E. tarda to facilitate construction of a practical effective vaccine used for combating fish edwardsiellosis.     

Reduced amounts of LPS affect both stress tolerance and virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin

Signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) is a widely used technique for identification of virulence genes in bacterial pathogens. While this approach often generates a large number of mutants with a potential reduction in virulence a major task is subsequently to determine the mechanism by which the mutations influence virulence. Presently, we have characterised a Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin STM mutant that, in addition to having reduced virulence, was also impaired when growing under various stress conditions. The mutation mapped to the manC (rfbM) gene of the O-antigen gene cluster involved in O-antigen synthesis. The O-antigen is a component of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) forming a unique constituent of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. While mutations in the O-antigen genes usually eliminate the entire O-antigen side chain we found that the transposon mutant produced intact O-antigen, however, the mutation reduced the amount of LPS.     

The AS87_04050 Gene Is Involved in Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis and Pathogenicity of Riemerella anatipestifer

Riemerella anatipestifer is reported worldwide as a cause of septicemic and exudative diseases of domestic ducks. In this study, we identified a mutant strain RA2640 by Tn4351 transposon mutagenesis, in which the AS87_04050 gene was inactivated by insertion of the transposon. Southern blot analysis indicated that only one insertion was found in the genome of the mutant strain RA2640. SDS-PAGE followed by silver staining showed that the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) pattern of mutant strain RA2640 was different from its wild-type strain Yb2, suggesting the LPS was defected. In addition, the phenotype of the mutant strain RA2640 was changed to rough-type, evident by altered colony morphology, autoaggregation ability and crystal violet staining characteristics. Bacterial LPS is a key factor in virulence as well as in both innate and acquired host responses to infection. The rough-type mutant strain RA2640 showed higher sensitivity to antibiotics, disinfectants and normal duck serum, and higher capability of adherence and invasion to Vero cells, compared to its wild-type strain Yb2. Moreover, the mutant strain RA2640 lost the agglutination ability of its wild-type strain Yb2 to R. anatipestifer serotype 2 positive sera, suggesting that the O-antigen is defected. Animal experiments indicated that the virulence of the mutant strain RA2640 was attenuated by more than 100,000-fold, compared to its wild-type strain Yb2. These results suggested that the AS87_04050 gene in R. anatipestifer is associated with the LPS biosynthesis and bacterial pathogenicity.     

生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白北大核心CSCD

肠炎沙门菌(Salmonella enteritidis)是一种重要的人兽共患病原菌,在对该菌感染的预防与控制上一直存在困难,而糖蛋白疫苗的出现为其预防提供了新的思路。对于糖蛋白的合成,一般采用传统的化学交联方法,该法制备流程烦琐、生产成本高。因此,探索经济且稳定的生物合成方法非常必要。为了实现生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白,本研究利用CRISPR/Cas9方法构建肠炎沙门菌waa L基因缺失株SEΔwaa L,使用银染的方法检测细菌外膜脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)的合成情况。使用环形PCR方法构建了表达寡糖转移酶PglL、重组铜绿假单胞菌的外毒素(recombinant Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A,r EPA)和霍乱毒素B亚单位(cholera toxin B subunit,CTB)的表达质粒,并分别在rEPA的N端和CTB的C端加入了PilE;糖基化位点序列。将重组质粒转化到SE ΔwaaL中,诱导表达后通过Western blotting方法对糖蛋白的合成进行验证,并通过镍柱(Ni-NTA)对糖蛋白进行纯化。结果表明,waaL基因的缺失阻断了肠炎沙门菌LPS正常合成,在该缺失株中rEPA和CTB蛋白均可成功表达。此外,在表达寡糖转移酶PglL的情况下,rEPA和CTB发生了明显的糖基化,其糖基化部分为肠炎沙门菌O抗原多糖。本研究结果证明肠炎沙门菌缺失waaL基因后,在寡糖转移酶PglL的作用下可以将自身O抗原多糖链共价连接到载体蛋白rEPA和CTB上,形成糖蛋白,为生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白的研究奠定了基础。     

Functional characterization of Edwardsiella tarda twin-arginine translocation system and its potential use as biological containment in live attenuated vaccine of marine fish

Bacterial twin-arginine translocation (Tat) system contributes to translocate folded proteins to the periplasm and plays pleiotropic roles in physiological fitness. Here, we showed that the fish pathogen Edwardsiella tarda Tat pathway was functional and was essential for H₂S production and hemolytic activity. E. tarda Tat mutant was more susceptible to diverse stresses such as high temperature, SDS, ethanol, and high-salt conditions. However, E. tarda Tat mutant displayed marginal in vivo virulence attenuation in fish models. Comparative proteomics analysis using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry were performed to identify proteins undergoing changes in expression levels under high-salt conditons when the Tat pathway was mutilated. Of the 96 differently expressed proteins on the 2-DGE map, 15 proteins were successfully identified with a MASCOT score >45 (p?<?0.05) and fold change higher than 2. These significantly differentially expressed proteins were functionally related to basal metabolism and the biosynthesis of proteins and macromolecules. The results of plate counting further confirmed that the Tat mutant was high-salt-sensitive, indicating that Tat mutant merits as a novel salt-sensitive biological containment system for live attenuated vaccine (LAV) in marine fish vaccinology. To test this, we deleted the type III secretion system genes and cured endogenous plasmid pEIB202 to construct a LAV candidate in the context of Tat abrogation in E. tarda. The results indicated that the LAV candidate was highly attenuated when injected intraperitoneally and elicited significant protection against challenge of wild-type E. tarda in turbot while being rapidly eliminated in seawater.     

Overexpression of mltA in Edwardsiella tarda reduces resistance to antibiotics and enhances lethality in zebra fish

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of membrane‐bound lytic murein transglycosylase A (MltA) in a bacterial fish pathogen Edwardsiella tarda. Methods and Results: An mltA in‐frame deletion mutant (ΔmltA) and an mltA overexpression strain (mltA⁺) of Edw. tarda were constructed through double‐crossover allelic exchange and by transformation of a low‐copy plasmid carrying the intact mltA into the ΔmltA mutant, respectively. Either inactivation or overexpression of MltA in Edw. tarda resulted in elevated sensitivity to β‐lactam antibiotics and lower viability in oligotrophic or high osmotic environment than wild‐type strain. Autolysis induced by EDTA was reduced in ΔmltA strain, while mltA⁺ strain was virtually flimsy, indicating that MltA is responsible for the lysis effect. Moreover, mltA⁺ strain exhibited significant increases in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis and virulence to zebra fish compared with wild‐type strain. Conclusions: The results indicated that MltA plays essential roles in β‐lactam antibiotics and environmental stresses resistance, autolysis, LPS biosynthesis and pathogenicity of Edw. tarda. This is the first report that MltA has a virulence‐related function in Edw. tarda. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study provided useful information for further studies on pathogenesis of Edw. tarda.     

Regulation of O-antigen chain length is required for Shigella flexneri virulence

It is shown that Shigella flexneri maintains genetic control over the modal chain length of the O-antigen polysaccharide chains of its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules because such a distribution is required for virulence. The effect of altering O-antigen chain length on S. flexneri virulence was investigated by inserting a kanamycin (Km)-resistance cassette into the rol gene (controlling the modal O-antigen chain length distribution), and into the rfbD gene, whose product is needed for synthesis of dTDP-rhamnose (the precursor of rhamnose in the O-antigen). The mutations had the expected effect on LPS structure. The rol ::Km mutation was impaired in the ability to elicit keratoconjunctivitis, as determined by the Serény test. The rol ::Km and rfbD ::Km mutations prevented plaque formation on HeLa cells, but neither mutation affected the ability of S. flexneri to invade and replicate in HeLa cells. Microscopy of bacteria-infected HeLa cells stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-phalloidin demonstrated that both the rol ::Km and rfbD ::Km mutants were defective in F-actin tail formation: the latter mutant showed distorted F-actin tails. Plasma-membrane protrusions were occasionally observed. Investigation of the location of IcsA (required for F-actin tail formation) on the cell surface by immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy showed that while most rol mutant bacteria produced little or no cell-surface IcsA, 10% resembled the parental bacterial cell (which had IcsA at one cell pole; the rfbD mutant had IcsA located over its entire cell surface although it was more concentrated at one end of the cell). That the O-antigen chains of the rol ::Km mutant did not mask the IcsA protein was demonstrated by using the endorhamnosidase activity of Sf6c phage to digest the O-antigen chains, and comparing untreated and Sf6c-treated cells by immunofluorescence with anti-IcsA serum.     

Acinetobacter baumannii outer membrane protein A modulates the biogenesis of outer membrane vesicles

Acinetobacter baumannii secretes outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) during both in vitro and in vivo growth, but the biogenesis mechanism by which A. baumannii produces OMVs remains undefined. Outer membrane protein A of A. baumannii (AbOmpA) is a major protein in the outer membrane and the C-terminus of AbOmpA interacts with diaminopimelate of peptidoglycan. This study investigated the role of AbOmpA in the biogenesis of A. baumannii OMVs. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to analyze OMV biogenesis in A. baumannii ATCC 19606T and an isogenic ΔAbOmpA mutant. OMV production was significantly increased in the ΔAbOmpA mutant compared to wild-type bacteria as demonstrated by quantitation of proteins and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) packaged in OMVs. LPS profiles prepared from OMVs from wild-type bacteria and the ΔAbOmpA mutant had identical patterns, but proteomic analysis showed different protein constituents in OMVs from wild-type bacteria compared to the ΔAbOmpA mutant. In conclusion, AbOmpA influences OMV biogenesis by controlling OMV production and protein composition.     

Lipopolysaccharide with an altered O-antigen produced in Escherichia coli K-12 harbouring mutated, cloned Shigella flexneri rfb genes

Cloning of the rfb genes of Shigella flexneri 2a into Escherichia coli K-12 strain DH1 results in the synthesis of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) with an O-antigen chain having type antigen IV and group antigens 3,4. During genetic studies of these rfb genes in E. coli K-12, we observed that strains harbouring plasmids with certain mutations (inversion and transposon insertions) which should have blocked O-antigen synthesis nevertheless still produced LPS with O-antigen chains. These LPS migrated differently on silver-stained SDS—polyacrylamide gels, compared with the LPS produced by wild-type rfb genes, and the group 3,4 antigens were barely detectable, suggesting that the O-antigen was altered. Investigation of the genetic determinants for production of the altered O-antigen/LPS indicated that: (i) these LPS are produced as a result of mutations which are either polar on rfbF or inactivate rfbF; (ii) the rfbX gene product (or a similar protein in the E. coli K-12 rfb region) is needed for production of the altered O-antigen in the form of LPS; (iii) the rfbG gene product is required for the production of both the parental and altered LPS; (iv) the dTDP-rhamnose biosynthesis genes are required. Additionally, an E. coli K-12 gene product(s) encoded outside the rfb region also contributes to production of the O-antigen of the altered LPS. An antiserum raised to the altered LPS from strain DH1(pPM2217 (rfbX::Tn1725)) was found to cross-react with nearly all S. flexneri serotypes, and with the altered LPS produced by other DH1 strains harbouring plasmids with different rfb mutations, as described above. The reactivity of the altered LPS with a panel of monoclonal antibodies specific for various S. flexneri O-antigen type and group antigens demonstrated that their O-antigen components were closely related to that of S. flexneri serotype 4. The RfbF and RfbG proteins were shown to have similarity to rhamnose transferases, and we identified a motif common to the N-termini of 6-deoxy-hexose nucleotide sugar transferases. We propose that the E. coli K-12 strains harbouring the mutated S. flexneri rfb genes produce LPS with a hybrid O-antigen as a consequence of inactivation of RfbF and complementation by an E. coli K-12 gene product. Analysis of the genetic and immunochemical data suggested a possible structure for the O-antigen component of the altered LPS.     

Molecular cloning,characterization, and sequencing of the hemolysin gene from Edwardsiella tarda

Hemolysis is a major symptom of diseased eels infected by Edwardsiella tarda. The hemolysin gene of E. tarda strain ET16 was cloned into plasmid pSK and expressed in Escherichia coli. The mol. mass of the functional β-hemolysin was estimated to be approximately 34 kDa by gel filtration and by SDS-PAGE followed by in situ hemolysin activity analysis. The cloned fragment containing the β-hemolysin locus from E. tarda strain ET16 expressed in E. coli was estimated to be 5.3 kb in length; the deduced gene product was identical in mol. mass and properties to the extracellular products of E. tarda strain ET16. The presence of EcoRI and XbaI sites within the β-hemolysin gene of E. tarda was determined from the loss of hemolytic activity in subclones. Analysis of the DNA sequence of a 2,436-bp HaeIII-HindIII fragment that included EcoRI and XbaI sites revealed three ORFs organized as an operon that encoded three predicted polypeptides of 15,874, 7,055, and 34,804 Da. A 34-kDa polypeptide expressing hemolytic activity in cell lysates of the clone DH5α(pETH3E) is very likely the β-hemolysin encoded by the third ORF. The observation that hemolytic activity appeared in the culture medium of E. tarda, but not in that of E. coli strain DH5α(pETH3E) indicates the existence of a mechanism for transporting the hemolysin across the cell envelope in E. tarda that is different from that of E. coli. Received: 7 July 1995 / Accepted: 24 October 1995     

High Photobiological Hydrogen Production Activity of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nostoc</Emphasis> sp. PCC 7422 Uptake Hydrogenase-Deficient Mutant with High Nitrogenase Activity

We describe a strategy to establish cyanobacterial strains with high levels of H₂ production that involves the identification of promising wild-type strains followed by optimization of the selected strains using genetic engineering. Nostoc sp. PCC 7422 was chosen from 12 other heterocystous strains, because it has the highest nitrogenase activity. We sequenced the uptake hydrogenase (Hup) gene cluster as well as the bidirectional hydrogenase gene cluster from the strain, and constructed a mutant (ΔhupL) by insertional disruption of the hupL gene. The ΔhupL mutant produced H₂ at 100 μmoles mg chlorophyll a ^-1 h^-1, a rate three times that of the wild-type. The ΔhupL cells could accumulate H₂ to about 29% (v/v) accompanied by O₂ evolution in 6 days, under a starting gas phase of Ar + 5% CO₂. The presence of 20% O₂ in the initial gas phase inhibited H₂ accumulation of the ΔhupL cells by less than 20% until day 7.