Zinc-Independent Folate Biosynthesis: Genetic,Biochemical, and Structural Investigations Reveal New Metal Dependence for GTP Cyclohydrolase IB

GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCYH-I) is an essential Zn²⁺-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the first step of the de novo folate biosynthetic pathway in bacteria and plants, the 7-deazapurine biosynthetic pathway in Bacteria and Archaea, and the biopterin pathway in mammals. We recently reported the discovery of a new prokaryotic-specific GCYH-I (GCYH-IB) that displays no sequence identity to the canonical enzyme and is present in ∼25% of bacteria, the majority of which lack the canonical GCYH-I (renamed GCYH-IA). Genomic and genetic analyses indicate that in those organisms possessing both enzymes, e.g., Bacillus subtilis, GCYH-IA and -IB are functionally redundant, but differentially expressed. Whereas GCYH-IA is constitutively expressed, GCYH-IB is expressed only under Zn²⁺-limiting conditions. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that GCYH-IB functions to allow folate biosynthesis during Zn²⁺ starvation. Here, we present biochemical and structural data showing that bacterial GCYH-IB, like GCYH-IA, belongs to the tunneling-fold (T-fold) superfamily. However, the GCYH-IA and -IB enzymes exhibit significant differences in global structure and active-site architecture. While GCYH-IA is a unimodular, homodecameric, Zn²⁺-dependent enzyme, GCYH-IB is a bimodular, homotetrameric enzyme activated by a variety of divalent cations. The structure of GCYH-IB and the broad metal dependence exhibited by this enzyme further underscore the mechanistic plasticity that is emerging for the T-fold superfamily. Notably, while humans possess the canonical GCYH-IA enzyme, many clinically important human pathogens possess only the GCYH-IB enzyme, suggesting that this enzyme is a potential new molecular target for antibacterial development.The Zn²⁺-dependent enzyme GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCYH-I; EC 3.5.4.16) is the first enzyme of the de novo tetrahydrofolate (THF) biosynthesis pathway (Fig. ​(Fig.1)1) (38). THF is an essential cofactor in one-carbon transfer reactions in the synthesis of purines, thymidylate, pantothenate, glycine, serine, and methionine in all kingdoms of life (38), and formylmethionyl-tRNA in bacteria (7). Recently, it has also been shown that GCYH-I is required for the biosynthesis of the 7-deazaguanosine-modified tRNA nucleosides queuosine and archaeosine produced in Bacteria and Archaea (44), respectively, as well as the 7-deazaadenosine metabolites produced in some Streptomyces species (33). GCYH-I is encoded in Escherichia coli by the folE gene (28) and catalyzes the conversion of GTP to 7,8-dihydroneopterin triphosphate (55), a complex reaction that begins with hydrolytic opening of the purine ring at C-8 of GTP to generate an N-formyl intermediate, followed by deformylation and subsequent rearrangement and cyclization of the ribosyl moiety to generate the pterin ring in THF (Fig. ​(Fig.1).1). Notably, the enzyme is dependent on an essential active-site Zn²⁺ that serves to activate a water molecule for nucleophilic attack at C-8 in the first step of the reaction (2).Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Reaction catalyzed by GCYH-I, and metabolic fate of 7,8-dihydroneopterin triphosphate.A homologous GCYH-I is found in mammals and other higher eukaryotes, where it catalyzes the first step of the biopterin (BH₄) pathway (Fig. ​(Fig.1),1), an essential cofactor in the biosynthesis of tyrosine and neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (3, 52). Recently, a distinct class of GCYH-I enzymes, GCYH-IB (encoded by the folE2 gene), was discovered in microbes (26% of sequenced Bacteria and most Archaea) (12), including several clinically important human pathogens, e.g., Neisseria and Staphylococcus species. Notably, GCYH-IB is absent in eukaryotes.The distribution of folE (gene product renamed GCYH-IA) and folE2 (GCYH-IB) in bacteria is diverse (12). The majority of organisms possess either a folE (65%; e.g., Escherichia coli) or a folE2 (14%; e.g., Neisseria gonorrhoeae) gene. A significant number (12%; e.g., B. subtilis) possess both genes (a subset of 50 bacterial species is shown in Table ​Table1),1), and 9% lack both genes, although members of the latter group are mainly intracellular or symbiotic bacteria that rely on external sources of folate. The majority of Archaea possess only a folE2 gene, and the encoded GCYH-IB appears to be necessary only for the biosynthesis of the modified tRNA nucleoside archaeosine (44) except in the few halophilic Archaea that are known to synthesize folates, such as Haloferax volcanii, where GCYH-IB is involved in both archaeosine and folate formation (13, 44).

TABLE 1.

Distribution and candidate Zur-dependent regulation of alternative GCYH-I genes in bacteria^a

Replication-Defective Adenovirus Vectors with Multiple Deletions Do Not Induce Measurable Vector-Specific T Cells in Human Trials

The magnitude and character of adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5)-specific T cells were determined in volunteers with and without preexisting neutralizing antibodies (NAs) to Ad5 who received replication-defective Ad5 (rAd5)-based human immunodeficiency virus vaccines. There was no correlation between T-cell responses and NAs to Ad5. There was no increase in magnitude or activation state of Ad5-specific CD4⁺ T cells at time points where antibodies to Ad5 and T-cell responses to the recombinant gene products could be measured. These data indicate that rAd5-based vaccines containing deletions in the E1, E3, and E4 regions do not induce appreciable expansion of vector-specific CD4⁺ T cells.Replication-defective adenoviruses (rAd) have been engineered to provide high levels of expression of foreign inserts with minimum expression of adenovirus proteins, making them excellent candidates for vaccine and gene therapy applications (3, 16). Despite promising immunogenicity, a prophylactic vaccine trial of a serotype 5 rAd (rAd5) vector expressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Gag, Pol, and Nef genes (Step trial) was recently halted due to an increase in HIV infections among volunteers who had preexisting neutralizing antibodies (NAs) to Ad5 (7). This finding raises the possibility that the presence of Ad5-specific T-cell responses (specifically CD4⁺ T-cell responses) in subjects with preexisting Ad5 NAs could be boosted by rAd5 vaccines, thereby providing an expanded susceptible target cell population that could be more easily infected by HIV. If this mechanism were operative, it would have broad implications for the future use of rAd viruses, and indeed other virus vectors, as vaccines or therapeutic agents within HIV-susceptible populations (2, 12, 15). We therefore measured the frequency, magnitude, and activation status of rAd5-specific T cells in HIV-uninfected volunteers who had received rAd5-based HIV vaccines in the presence or absence of preexisting NAs to Ad5.We studied 31 volunteers enrolled in two NIAID Institutional Review Board-approved phase I clinical trials of rAd5-based HIV vaccines. VRC 006 was a dose escalation study evaluating a single inoculation of a rAd5 mixture expressing EnvA, EnvB, EnvC, and fusion protein Gag/PolB at 10⁹, 10¹⁰, and 10¹¹ total particle units (10). VRC 008 evaluated DNA priming by needle and syringe or Biojector, followed by rAd5 boosting. Both studies enrolled healthy, HIV-uninfected adults; used the same rAd5 products; and evaluated immunogenicity on the day of and 4 weeks after rAd5 immunization. Both of these trials involved rAd5 products that contained deletions in the E1, E3, and E4 regions (8, 10).NAs to Ad5 were determined for all volunteers as previously described (19). A 90% NA titer of 12 or more was considered positive and taken as evidence of preexisting humoral immunity to Ad5. Volunteers were chosen for assessment of Ad5-specific T-cell responses based upon the availability of peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples at key time points and the presence or absence of preexisting NAs to Ad5. Only volunteers who received the vaccine (not the placebo) were included. Table ​Table11 lists the volunteers who were tested for Ad5-specific T-cell responses and their NA titers to Ad5 before and after rAd5 vaccination. All volunteers, except for one (volunteer 12) who had a less-than-maximum NA titer to Ad5 before vaccination, had an increase in titer by 4 weeks after vaccination, indicating the successful “take” of the rAd5-based vaccine. There was no correlation between rAd5 dose and increase in Ad5 NA titer.

TABLE 1.

Ad5 serostatus before and after vaccination

Characterization of a Thermostable Short-Chain Alcohol Dehydrogenase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus sibiricus

Short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase, encoded by the gene Tsib_0319 from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus sibiricus, was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized as an NADPH-dependent enantioselective oxidoreductase with broad substrate specificity. The enzyme exhibits extremely high thermophilicity, thermostability, and tolerance to organic solvents and salts.Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs; EC 1.1.1.1.) catalyze the interconversion of alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes or ketones by using different redox-mediating cofactors. NAD(P)-dependent ADHs, due to their broad substrate specificity and enantioselectivity, have attracted particular attention as catalysts in industrial processes (5). However, mesophilic ADHs are unstable at high temperatures, sensitive to organic solvents, and often lose activity during immobilization. In this relation, there is a considerable interest in ADHs from extremophilic microorganisms; among them, Archaea are of great interest. The representatives of all groups of NAD(P)-dependent ADHs have been detected in genomes of Archaea (11, 12); however, only a few enzymes have been characterized, and the great majority of them belong to medium-chain (3, 4, 14, 16, 19) or long-chain iron-activated ADHs (1, 8, 9). Up to now, a single short-chain archaeal ADH from Pyrococcus furiosus (10, 18) and only one archaeal aldo-keto reductase also from P. furiosus (11) have been characterized.Thermococcus sibiricus is a hyperthermophilic anaerobic archaeon isolated from a high-temperature oil reservoir capable of growth on complex organic substrates (15). The complete genome sequence of T. sibiricus has been recently determined and annotated (13). Several ADHs are encoded by the T. sibiricus genome, including three short-chain ADHs (Tsib_0319, Tsib_0703, and Tsib_1998) (13). In this report, we describe the cloning and expression of the Tsib_0319 gene from T. sibiricus and the purification and the biochemical characterization of its product, the thermostable short-chain ADH (TsAdh319).The Tsib_0319 gene encodes a protein with a size of 234 amino acids and the calculated molecular mass of 26.2 kDa. TsAdh319 has an 85% degree of sequence identity with short-chain ADH from P. furiosus (AdhA; PF_0074) (18). Besides AdhA, close homologs of TsAdh319 were found among different bacterial ADHs, but not archaeal ADHs. The gene flanked by the XhoI and BamHI sites was PCR amplified using two primers (sense primer, 5′-GTTCTCGAGATGAAGGTTGCTGTGATAACAGGG-3′, and antisense primer, 5′-GCTGGATCCTCAGTATTCTGGTCTCTGGTAGACGG-3′) and cloned into the pET-15b vector. TsAdh319 was overexpressed, with an N-terminal His₆ tag in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami (DE3) and purified to homogeneity by metallochelating chromatography (Hi-Trap chelating HP column; GE Healthcare) followed by gel filtration on Superdex 200 10/300 GL column (GE Healthcare) equilibrated in 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5) with 200 mM NaCl. The homogeneity and the correspondence to the calculated molecular mass of 28.7 kDa were verified by SDS-PAGE (7). The molecular mass of native TsAdh319 was 56 to 60 kDa, which confirmed the dimeric structure in solution.The standard ADH activity measurement was made spectrophotometrically at the optimal pH by following either the reduction of NADP (in 50 mM Gly-NaOH buffer; pH 10.5) or the oxidation of NADPH (in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer; pH 7.5) at 340 nm at 60°C. The enzyme exhibited a strong preference for NADP(H) and broad substrate specificity (Table ​(Table1).1). The highest oxidation rates were found with pentoses d-arabinose (2.0 U mg⁻¹) and d-xylose (2.46 U mg⁻¹), and the highest reduction rates were found with dimethylglyoxal (5.9 U mg⁻¹) and pyruvaldehyde (2.2 U mg⁻¹). The enzyme did not reduce sugars which were good substrates for the oxidation reaction. The kinetic parameters of TsAdh319 determined for the preferred substrates are shown in Table ​Table2.2. The enantioselectivity of the enzyme was estimated by measuring the conversion rates of 2-butanol enantiomers. TsAdh319 showed an evident preference, >2-fold, for (S)-2-butanol over (RS)-2-butanol. The enzyme stereoselectivity is confirmed by the preferred oxidation of d-arabinose over l-arabinose (Table ​(Table1).1). The fact that TsAdh319 is metal independent was supported by the absence of a significant effect of TsAdh319 preincubation with 10 mM Me²⁺ for 30 min before measuring the activity in the presence of 1 mM Me²⁺ or EDTA (Table ​(Table3).3). TsAdh319 also exhibited a halophilic property, so the enzyme activity increased in the presence of NaCl and KCl and the activation was maintained even at concentration of 4 M and 3 M, respectively (Table ​(Table33).

TABLE 1.

Substrate specificity of TsAdh319

Analysis of the Clonal Relationship of Serotype O26:H11 Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Isolates from Cattle

Twelve cluster groups of Escherichia coli O26 isolates found in three cattle farms were monitored in space and time. Cluster analysis suggests that only some O26:H11 strains had the potential for long-term persistence in hosts and farms. As judged by their virulence markers, bovine enterohemorrhagic O26:H11 isolates may represent a considerable risk for human infection.Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains comprise a group of zoonotic enteric pathogens (42). In humans, infections with some STEC serotypes result in hemorrhagic or nonhemorrhagic diarrhea, which can be complicated by hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) (49). These STEC strains are also designated “enterohemorrhagic E. coli” (EHEC). Consequently, EHEC strains represent a subgroup of STEC with a high pathogenic potential for humans. Strains of the E. coli serogroup O26 were originally classified as enteropathogenic E. coli due to their association with outbreaks of infantile diarrhea in the 1940s. In 1977, Konowalchuk et al. (37) recognized that these bacteria produced Stx, and 10 years later, the Stx-producing E. coli O26:H11/H− strains were classified as EHEC. EHEC O26 strains constitute the most common non-O157 EHEC group associated with diarrhea and HUS in Europe (12, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 55, 60). Reports on an association between EHEC O26 and HUS or diarrhea from North America including the United States (15, 30, 33), South America (51, 57), Australia (22), and Asia (31, 32) provide further evidence for the worldwide spread of these organisms. Studies in Germany and Austria (26, 27) on sporadic HUS cases between 1996 and 2003 found that EHEC O26 accounted for 14% of all EHEC strains and for ∼40% of non-O157 EHEC strains obtained from these patients. A proportion of 11% EHEC O26 strains was detected in a case-control study in Germany (59) between 2001 and 2003. In the age group <3 years, the number of EHEC O26 cases was nearly equal to that of EHEC O157 cases, although the incidence of EHEC O26-associated disease is probably underestimated because of diagnostic limitations in comparison to the diagnosis of O157:H7/H− (18, 34). Moreover, EHEC O26 has spread globally (35). Beutin (6) described EHEC O26:H11/H−, among O103:H2, O111:H, O145:H28/H−, and O157:H7/H−, as the well-known pathogenic “gang of five,” and Bettelheim (5) warned that we ignore the non-O157 STEC strains at our peril.EHEC O26 strains produce Stx1, Stx2, or both (15, 63). Moreover, these strains contain the intimin-encoding eae gene (11, 63), a characteristic feature of EHEC (44). In addition, EHEC strains possess other markers associated with virulence, such as a large plasmid that carries further potential virulence genes, e.g., genes coding for EHEC hemolysin (EHEC-hlyA), a catalase-peroxidase (katP), and an extracellular serine protease (espP) (17, 52). The efa1 (E. coli factor for adherence 1) gene was identified as an intestinal colonization factor in EHEC (43). EHEC O26 represents a highly dynamic group of organisms that rapidly generate new pathogenic clones (7, 8, 63).Ruminants, especially cattle, are considered the primary reservoir for human infections with EHEC. Therefore, the aim of this study was the molecular characterization of bovine E. coli field isolates of serogroup O26 using a panel of typical virulence markers. The epidemiological situation in the beef herds from which the isolates were obtained and the spatial and temporal behavior of the clonal distribution of E. coli serogroup O26 were analyzed during the observation period. The potential risk of the isolates inducing disease in humans was assessed.In our study, 56 bovine E. coli O26:H11 isolates and one bovine O26:H32 isolate were analyzed for EHEC virulence-associated factors. The isolates had been obtained from three different beef farms during a long-term study. They were detected in eight different cattle in farm A over a period of 15 months (detected on 10 sampling days), in 3 different animals in farm C over a period of 8 months (detected on 3 sampling days), and in one cow on one sampling day in farm D (Table ​(Table1)1) (28).

TABLE 1.

Typing of E. coli O26 isolates

A Targeted Multilocus Genotyping Assay for Lineage,Serogroup, and Epidemic Clone Typing of Listeria monocytogenes

A 30-probe assay was developed for simultaneous classification of Listeria monocytogenes isolates by lineage (I to IV), major serogroup (4b, 1/2b, 1/2a, and 1/2c), and epidemic clone (EC) type (ECI, ECIa, ECII, and ECIII). The assay was designed to facilitate rapid strain characterization and the integration of subtype data into risk-based inspection programs.Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen that can cause serious invasive illness (listeriosis) in humans and other animals. L. monocytogenes is responsible for over 25% of food-borne-disease-related deaths attributable to known pathogens and is a leading cause of food recalls due to microbial adulteration (12, 21). However, not all L. monocytogenes subtypes contribute equally to human illness, and substantial differences in the ecologies and virulence attributes of different L. monocytogenes subtypes have been identified (9, 13, 14, 23, 24, 33, 35, 36). Among the four major evolutionary lineages of L. monocytogenes, only lineages I and II are commonly isolated from contaminated food and human listeriosis patients (19, 27, 29, 33). Lineage I strains are overrepresented among human listeriosis isolates, particularly those associated with epidemic outbreaks, whereas lineage II strains are overrepresented in foods and the environment (13, 14, 24). Lineage III strains account for approximately 1% of human listeriosis cases but are common among animal listeriosis isolates and appear to be a host-adapted group that is poorly adapted to food-processing environments (6, 34-36). The ecological and virulence attributes of lineage IV are poorly understood, as this lineage is rare and was only recently described based on a small number of strains (19, 26, 29, 33).L. monocytogenes is differentiated into 13 serotypes; however, four major serogroups (4b, 1/2b, 1/2a, and 1/2c) from within lineages I and II account for more than 98% of human and food isolates (16, 31). Serogroups refer to evolutionary complexes typified by a predominant serotype but which include very rare serotypes that represent minor evolutionary variants (7, 9, 33). Phylogenetic analyses have indicated that rare serotypes may have evolved recently, or even multiple times, from one of the major serotypes (9), and numerous molecular methods fail to discriminate minor serotypes as independent groups (1, 4, 7, 9, 18, 22, 33, 38, 39). Serotyping is one of the most common methods for L. monocytogenes subtyping, and serogroup classifications are a useful component of strain characterization because ecotype divisions appear largely congruent with serogroup distinctions (16, 34). Serogroup 4b strains are of particular public health concern because contamination with these strains appears to increase the probability that a ready-to-eat (RTE) food will be implicated in listeriosis (16, 28). Serogroup 4b strains account for approximately 40% of sporadic listeriosis and also are responsible for the majority of listeriosis outbreaks despite being relatively rare contaminants of food products (9, 13, 17, 30, 34). In addition, serogroup 4b strains are associated with more severe clinical presentations and higher mortality rates than other serogroups (11, 16, 20, 31, 34). Serogroups 1/2a and 1/2b are overrepresented among food isolates but also contribute significantly to human listeriosis, whereas serogroup 1/2c rarely causes human illness and may pose a lower risk of listeriosis for humans (16). Serogroup-specific differences in association with human listeriosis are consistent with the prevalence of virulence-attenuating mutations in inlA within these serogroups (32, 34); however, a number of additional factors likely contribute to these differences.Four previously described epidemic clones (ECs; ECI, ECIa, ECII, and ECIII) of L. monocytogenes have been implicated in numerous listeriosis outbreaks and have contributed significantly to sporadic illness (15, 34). ECI, ECIa, and ECII are distinct groups within serogroup 4b that were each responsible for repeated outbreaks of listeriosis in the United States and Europe. ECIII is a lineage II clone of serotype 1/2a that persisted in the same processing facility for more than a decade prior to causing a multistate outbreak linked to contaminated turkey (15, 25). While there has been speculation that epidemic clones possess unique adaptations that explain their frequent involvement in listeriosis outbreaks (9, 34, 37), it is not clear that epidemic clones are more virulent than other strains with the same serotype. However, contamination of RTE food with EC strains would be cause for increased concern due to the previous involvement of these clones in major outbreaks of listeriosis (16).As a result of the L. monocytogenes subtype-specific differences in ecology, virulence, and association with human illness, molecular subtyping technologies have the potential to inform assessments of relative risk and to improve risk-based inspection programs. The objective of the present study was to develop a single assay for rapid and accurate classification of L. monocytogenes isolates by lineage, major serogroup, and epidemic clone in order to facilitate strain characterization and the integration of subtype data into inspection programs that are based on assessment of relative risk.A database of more than 5.3 Mb of comparative DNA sequences from 238 L. monocytogenes isolates (9, 33-35) was scanned for single nucleotide polymorphisms that could be used to differentiate lineages, major serogroups, and epidemic clones via a targeted multilocus genotyping (TMLGT) approach. The acronym TMLGT is used to distinguish this approach from previously published multilocus genotyping (MLGT) assays that were lineage specific and designed for haplotype discrimination (9, 33). To provide for simultaneous interrogation of the selected polymorphisms via TMLGT, six genomic regions (Table ​(Table1)1) were coamplified in a multiplex PCR. While the previous MLGT assays were based on three lineage-specific multiplexes and required prior identification of lineage identity, TMLGT was designed to target variation across all of the lineages simultaneously and is based on a unique set of amplicons. PCR was performed in 50-μl volumes with 1× High Fidelity PCR buffer (Invitrogen Life Technologies), 2 mM MgSO₄, 100 μM deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP), 300 nM primer, 1.5 U Platinum Taq high-fidelity DNA polymerase (Invitrogen Life Technologies), and 100 ng of genomic DNA. PCR consisted of an initial denaturation of 90 s at 96°C, followed by 40 cycles of 30 s at 94°C, 30 s at 50°C, and 90 s at 68°C. Amplification products were purified using Montage PCR cleanup filter plates (Millipore) and served as a template for allele-specific primer extension (ASPE) reactions utilizing subtype-specific probes.

TABLE 1.

Primers used in multiplex amplification for the TMLGT assay

Nonpathogenic Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection of Sooty Mangabeys Is Not Associated with High Levels of Autologous Neutralizing Antibodies

Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of natural-host species, such as sooty mangabeys (SMs), is characterized by a high level of viral replication and a low level of generalized immune activation, despite evidence of an adaptive immune response. Here the ability of SIV-infected SMs to mount neutralizing antibodies (Nab) against autologous virus was compared to that of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype C-infected subjects. While high levels of Nab were observed in HIV-1 infection, samples obtained at comparable time points from SM exhibited relatively low titers of autologous Nab. Nevertheless, SM plasma with higher Nab titers also contained elevated peripheral CD4⁺ T-cell levels, suggesting a potential immunologic benefit for SMs. These data indicate that AIDS resistance in these primates is not due to high Nab titers and raise the possibility that low levels of Nab might be an inherent feature of natural-host SIV infections.More than 40 species of African nonhuman primates (NHPs) naturally harbor CD4⁺-tropic lentiviruses that are collectively known as simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) and represent the ancestors of the human pathogens human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2. Interestingly, African NHPs infected with their cognate SIV generally do not progress to AIDS, despite high levels of sustained virus replication, with the only known exception being chimpanzee SIV (SIVcpz)-infected chimpanzees (16). Among the natural hosts for SIV infection, the sooty mangabey ([SM] Cercocebus atys) is of particular interest, because cross-species transmission of SM SIV (SIVsm) from this natural host into humans initiated the HIV-2 epidemic in West Africa (17). In addition, SIVsm (herein referred to as SIV) is the ancestor of the rhesus macaque SIV (SIVmac) viruses that are used in disease pathogenesis and vaccination studies in the rhesus macaque model (17). Both naturally infected and experimentally inoculated SMs remain healthy, maintain CD4⁺ T cells, and do not progress to AIDS-like disease, despite sustained high levels of virus replication (31).Nonpathogenic infection of SMs is characterized by low levels of immune activation during the chronic phase of infection, which are reached after a transient immune activation that occurs during primary infection (reviewed in reference 31). These findings have led to the hypothesis that the absence of generalized immune activation in SIV-infected SMs during the chronic phase of infection is an important feature that favors the preservation of CD4⁺ T-cell homeostasis, thereby avoiding disease progression (31). However, most of these earlier studies focused on T cells and innate immune cells, with a significant gap existing in our understanding of whether humoral immunity might also differ between pathogenic and nonpathogenic infections. In HIV-1-infected patients, B cells produce neutralizing antibodies against the infecting (autologous) virus, which drives viral escape, continuous de novo antibody production (26-28, 32), and B-cell dysfunction (24). The striking differences in both the clinical outcomes of infection and the levels of immune activation between SIV-infected SMs and HIV-1-infected humans prompted us to compare the neutralizing antibody (Nab) response against the autologous virus in these two populations. To this end, we utilized a pseudovirus assay that has been used extensively by our group and others to evaluate Nab against HIV-1 and SIV envelope (Env) glycoproteins (15, 19, 22, 26, 28, 32, 33; also unpublished data). All SMs were housed at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center (Atlanta, GA) and maintained in accordance with National Institutes of Health guidelines. The Emory University Animal Care and Use Committee approved these studies. Details of the Zambia Emory HIV Research Project (ZEHRP) have been described elsewhere (2, 10, 21). The Emory University Institutional Review Board and the University of Zambia School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee approved informed-consent and human subject protocols. None of the subjects received antiretroviral therapy during the evaluation period.In HIV-1 infection, autologous Nabs develop to relatively high titers against the newly transmitted virus within the first few months (15, 19, 26-28, 32). Here we sought to test whether a similar increase in Nab titer occurs during nonpathogenic SIV infection of SMs. Samples were obtained from five animals that were inoculated intravenously with plasma from a naturally infected SM as part of a previous study (30). Multiple, biologically functional Envs were cloned from plasma collected at day 14 postinoculation (Table ​(Table1),1), and Nab activity was evaluated in plasma collected at 6 months postinoculation. To facilitate comparison with early HIV-1 infection, Nab activity in plasma was also evaluated between 2 and 9 months against Envs that were cloned between 31 and 88 estimated days after infection from four subtype C HIV-1-infected seroconverters in Zambia (Table ​(Table1).1). Figure ​Figure1A1A demonstrates that Nab activity in plasma diluted 1:100 was readily detectable in all HIV-1-infected subjects at levels approaching 100% neutralization. However, Nab activity in the SM plasma was significantly lower than in the human subjects (median, 10% versus 93%, respectively; P = 0.02). Binding antibody was detected in all five SMs at titers greater than 1:51,200 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), demonstrating that all monkeys had seroconverted by 6 months and maintained high titers of binding antibody throughout the evaluation period (Fig. ​(Fig.1B).1B). Thus, the low level of Nab was not due to a diminished humoral immune response.Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Autologous Nab activity and B-cell proliferation during experimental infection of SMs. (A) Neutralization activity levels in plasma from five SMs (filled black circles), which were experimentally inoculated with plasma from a naturally SIV-infected SM, and four HIV-1-infected Zambian subjects (half-filled squares), who were recently infected through heterosexual contact, are shown. The horizontal bars represent the median for each group. To assess neutralizing activity, pseudoviruses were created by expressing each cloned Env with an HIV-1 env-deficient backbone (ΔSG3). JC53-BL (Tzm-bl) cells were infected with each pseudovirus in the presence or absence of serially diluted autologous plasma. Each point represents the average level of neutralization at a 1:100 dilution of plasma for at least two Env clones (see Table ​Table11 for number of Envs tested). Each neutralization assay was performed twice independently, using duplicate wells. Statistical significance between the groups was determined by a Mann-Whitney test, using GraphPad Prism 5. Longitudinal measurements of endpoint antibody ELISA titers in plasma (filled green circles) (23) (B), autologous neutralization activity in plasma (filled blue diamonds) (C), percentages of Ki-67⁺ CD20⁺ cells in blood (filled black triangles) (D), and percentages of CD20⁺ cells in blood (filled red squares) (E) are shown for the five experimentally inoculated SMs combined. In panel C, each point represents average neutralization at a 1:100 dilution of plasma over time for at least two day 14 Env clones from each SM. For panels D and E, PBMCs were gated by forward and side scatter, and the CD3⁻ CD20⁺ population was assessed for Ki-67 staining (D) by flow cytometry. SP34-2 was used to stain CD3, L27 was used for CD20, and B56 was used for Ki-67 (all from BD Biosciences). Error bars represent the standard errors of the means (SEMs). Plasma viral load peaked at day 14 (data not shown). Filled symbols in panels A through E indicate data generated from experimentally infected SMs.

TABLE 1.

Autologous Nab activity in experimentally SIV-infected SM and acutely HIV-1-infected humans

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism-Based Diagnostic System for Crop-Associated Sclerotinia Species

A molecular diagnostic system using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was developed to identify four Sclerotinia species: S. sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, S. minor Jagger, S. trifoliorum Erikss., and the undescribed species Sclerotinia species 1. DNAs of samples are hybridized with each of five 15-bp oligonucleotide probes containing an SNP site midsequence unique to each species. For additional verification, hybridizations were performed using diagnostic single nucleotide substitutions at a 17-bp sequence of the calmodulin locus. The accuracy of these procedures was compared to that of a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method based on Southern hybridizations of EcoRI-digested genomic DNA probed with the ribosomal DNA-containing plasmid probe pMF2, previously shown to differentiate S. sclerotiorum, S. minor, and S. trifoliorum. The efficiency of the SNP-based assay as a diagnostic test was evaluated in a blind screening of 48 Sclerotinia isolates from agricultural and wild hosts. One isolate of Botrytis cinerea was used as a negative control. The SNP-based assay accurately identified 96% of Sclerotinia isolates and could be performed faster than RFLP profiling using pMF2. This method shows promise for accurate, high-throughput species identification.Sclerotinia is distinguished morphologically from other genera in the Sclerotiniaceae (Ascomycota, Pezizomycotina, Leotiomycetes) by the production of tuberoid sclerotia that do not incorporate host tissue, by the production of microconidia that function as spermatia but not as a disseminative asexual state, and by the development of a layer of textura globulosa composing the outer tissue of apothecia (8). Two hundred forty-six species of Sclerotinia have been reported, most distinguished morphotaxonomically (Index Fungorum [www.indexfungorum.org]). These include the four species of agricultural importance now recognized plus many that are imperfectly known, seldom collected, or apparently endemic to relatively small geographic areas (2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 17).The main species of phythopathological interest in the genus Sclerotinia are S. sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, S. minor Jagger, S. trifoliorum Erikss., and the undescribed species Sclerotinia species 1. Sclerotinia species 1 is an important cause of disease in vegetables in Alaska (16) and has been found in association with wild Taraxacum sp., Caltha palustris, and Aconitum septentrionalis in Norway (7). It is morphologically indistinguishable from S. sclerotiorum, but it was shown to be a distinct species based on distinctive polymorphisms in sequences from internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal repeat (7). The other three species have been delimited using morphological, cytological, biochemical, and molecular characters (3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15). Interestingly, given that the ITS is sufficiently polymorphic in many fungal genera to resolve species, in Sclerotinia, only species 1 and S. trifoliorum are distinguished by characteristic ITS sequence polymorphisms; S. sclerotiorum and S. minor cannot be distinguished based on ITS sequence (2, 7).Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a necrotrophic pathogen with a broad host range (1). S. minor has a more restricted host range but causes disease in a variety of important crops such as lettuce, peanut, and sunflower crops (11). S. trifoliorum has a much narrower host range, limited to the Fabaceae (3, 8, 9). Sclerotial and ascospore characteristics also serve to differentiate among the three species. Sclerotinia minor has small sclerotia that develop throughout the colony in vitro and aggregate to form crusts on the host, while the sclerotia of S. sclerotiorum and S. trifoliorum are large and form at the colony periphery in vitro, remaining separate on the host (8, 9). The failure of an isolate to produce sclerotia or apothecia in vitro is not unusual, especially after serial cultivation (8). The presence of dimorphic, tetranucleate ascospores characterizes S. trifoliorum, while S. sclerotiorum and S. minor both have uniformly sized ascospores that are binucleate and tetranucleate, respectively (9, 14).With the apparent exception of Sclerotinia species 1, morphological characteristics are sufficient to delimit Sclerotinia species given that workers have all manifestations of the life cycle in hand. In cultures freshly isolated from infected plants, investigators usually have mycelia and sclerotia but not apothecia. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in ribosomal DNA (rDNA) are diagnostic for Sclerotinia species (3, 10), but the assay requires cloned probes (usually accessed from other laboratories) hybridized to Southern blots from vertical gels, an impractical procedure for large samples. We have analyzed sequence data from previous phylogenetic studies (2) and have identified diagnostic variation for the rapid identification of the four Sclerotinia species. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay that we report here is amenable to a high throughput of samples and requires only PCR amplification with a standard set of primers and oligonucleotide hybridizations to Southern blots in a dot format.The SNP assay was performed using two independent sets of species-specific oligonucleotide probes, all with SNP sites shown to differentiate the four Sclerotinia species (Fig. ​(Fig.1).1). A panel of 49 anonymously coded isolates (Table ​(Table1)1) was screened using these species-specific SNP probes, as outlined in Fig. ​Fig.1.1. The assay was validated by comparison to Southern hybridizations of EcoRI-digested genomic DNA hybridized with pMF2, a plasmid probe containing the portion of the rDNA repeat with the 18S, 5.8S, and 26S rRNA cistrons of Neurospora crassa (4, 10).Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Protocol for the SNP-based identification of Sclerotinia species, with diagnostic SNP sites underlined and in boldface type for each hybridization probe.

TABLE 1.

Isolates and hybridization results for all SNP-based oligonucleotide probes^f

Growth of Arthrobacter sp. Strain JBH1 on Nitroglycerin as the Sole Source of Carbon and Nitrogen

Arthrobacter sp. strain JBH1 was isolated from nitroglycerin-contaminated soil by selective enrichment. Detection of transient intermediates and simultaneous adaptation studies with potential intermediates indicated that the degradation pathway involves the conversion of nitroglycerin to glycerol via 1,2-dinitroglycerin and 1-mononitroglycerin, with concomitant release of nitrite. Glycerol then serves as the source of carbon and energy.Nitroglycerin (NG) is manufactured widely for use as an explosive and a pharmaceutical vasodilator. It has been found as a contaminant in soil and groundwater (7, 9). Due to NG''s health effects as well as its highly explosive nature, NG contamination in soils and groundwater poses a concern that requires remedial action (3). Natural attenuation and in situ bioremediation have been used for remediation in soils contaminated with certain other explosives (16), but the mineralization of NG in soil and groundwater has not been reported.To date, no pure cultures able to grow on NG as the sole carbon, energy, and nitrogen source have been isolated. Accashian et al. (1) observed growth associated with the degradation of NG under aerobic conditions by a mixed culture originating from activated sludge. The use of NG as a source of nitrogen has been studied in mixed and pure cultures during growth on alternative sources of carbon and energy (3, 9, 11, 20). Under such conditions, NG undergoes a sequential denitration pathway in which NG is transformed to 1,2-dinitroglycerin (1,2DNG) or 1,3DNG followed by 1-mononitroglycerin (1MNG) or 2MNG and then glycerol, under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions (3, 6, 9, 11, 20), and the enzymes involved in denitration have been characterized in some detail (4, 8, 15, 21). Pure cultures capable of completely denitrating NG as a source of nitrogen when provided additional sources of carbon include Bacillus thuringiensis/cereus and Enterobacter agglomerans (11) and a Rhodococcus species (8, 9). Cultures capable of incomplete denitration to MNG in the presence of additional carbon sources were identified as Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens (4), an Arthobacter species, a Klebsiella species (8, 9), and Agrobacterium radiobacter (20).Here we describe the isolation of bacteria able to degrade NG as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. The inoculum for selective enrichment was soil historically contaminated with NG obtained at a facility that formerly manufactured explosives located in the northeastern United States. The enrichment medium consisted of minimal medium prepared as previously described (17) supplemented with NG (0.26 mM), which was synthesized as previously described (18). During enrichment, samples of the inoculum (optical density at 600 nm [OD₆₀₀] ∼ 0.03) were diluted 1/16 in fresh enrichment medium every 2 to 3 weeks. Isolates were obtained by dilution to extinction in NG-supplemented minimal medium. Cultures were grown under aerobic conditions in minimal medium at pH 7.2 and 23°C or in tryptic soy agar (TSA; 1/4 strength).Early stages of enrichment cultures required extended incubation with lag phases of over 200 h and exhibited slow degradation of NG (less than 1 μmol substrate/mg protein/h). After a number of transfers over 8 months, the degradation rates increased substantially (2.2 μmol substrate/mg protein/h). A pure culture capable of growth on NG was identified based on 16S rRNA gene analysis (504 bp) as an Arthrobacter species with 99.5% similarity to Arthrobacter pascens (GenBank accession no. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GU246730","term_id":"289474572","term_text":"GU246730"}}GU246730). Purity of the cultures was confirmed microscopically and by formation of a single colony type on TSA plates. 16S gene sequencing and identification were done by MIDI Labs (Newark, DE) and SeqWright DNA Technology Services (Houston, TX). The Arthrobacter cells stained primarily as Gram-negative rods with a small number of Gram-positive cocci (data not shown); Gram variability is also a characteristic of the closely related Arthrobacter globiformis (2, 19). The optimum growth temperature is 30°C, and the optimum pH is 7.2. Higher pH values were not investigated because NG begins to undergo hydrolysis above pH 7.5 (data not shown). The isolated culture can grow on glycerol, acetate, succinate, citrate, and lactate, with nitrite as the nitrogen source. Previous authors described an Arthrobacter species able to use NG as a nitrogen source in the presence of additional sources of carbon. However, only dinitroesters were formed, and complete mineralization was not achieved (9).To determine the degradation pathway, cultures of the isolated strain (5 ml of inoculum grown on NG to an OD₆₀₀ of 0.3) were grown in minimal medium (100 ml) supplemented with NG at a final concentration of 0.27 mM. Inoculated bottles and abiotic controls were continuously mixed, and NG, 1,2DNG, 1,3DNG, 1MNG, 2MNG, nitrite, nitrate, CO₂, total protein, and optical density were measured at appropriate intervals. Nitroesters were analyzed with an Agilent high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) equipped with an LC-18 column (250 by 4.6 mm, 5 μm; Supelco) and a UV detector at a wavelength of 214 nm (13). Methanol-water (50%, vol/vol) was used as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Nitrite and nitrate were analyzed with an ion chromatograph (IC) equipped with an IonPac AS14A anion-exchange column (Dionex, CA) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Carbon dioxide production was measured with a Micro Oxymax respirometer (Columbus Instruments, OH), and total protein was quantified using the Micro BCA protein assay kit (Pierce Biotechnology, IL) according to manufacturer''s instructions. During the degradation of NG the 1,2DNG concentration was relatively high at 46 and 72 h (Fig. ​(Fig.1).1). 1,3DNG, detected only at time zero, resulted from trace impurities in the NG stock solution. Trace amounts of 1MNG appeared transiently, and trace amounts of 2MNG accumulated and did not disappear. Traces of nitrite at time zero were from the inoculum. The concentration of NG in the abiotic control did not change during the experiment (data not shown).Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Growth of strain JBH1 on NG. ×, NG; ▵, 1,2DNG; ⋄, 1MNG; □, 2MNG; ○, protein.Results from the experiment described above were used to calculate nitrogen and carbon mass balances (Tables ​(Tables11 and ​and2).2). Nitrogen content in protein was approximated using the formula C₅H₇O₂N (14). Because all nitrogen was accounted for throughout, we conclude that the only nitrogen-containing intermediate compounds are 1,2DNG and 1MNG, which is consistent with previous studies (6, 9, 20). The fact that most of the nitrogen was released as nitrite is consistent with previous reports of denitration catalyzed by reductase enzymes (4, 8, 21). The minor amounts of nitrate observed could be from abiotic hydrolysis (5, 12) or from oxidation of nitrite. Cultures supplemented with glycerol or other carbon sources assimilated all of the nitrite (data not shown).

TABLE 1.

Nitrogen mass balance

Modified Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins and a Hybrid B. thuringiensis Strain Counter Greenhouse-Selected Resistance in Trichoplusia ni

Resistance of greenhouse-selected strains of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki was countered by a hybrid strain of B. thuringiensis and genetically modified toxins Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod, which lack helix α-1. Resistance to Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod was >100-fold less than resistance to native toxins Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac.Insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis are used widely for pest control, but evolution of resistance by pests can reduce their efficacy (3, 4, 6, 14). Resistance to B. thuringiensis toxins has been reported in field populations of four species of Lepidoptera, one species in response to sprays (3, 14) and three species in response to transgenic crops (10, 15, 16). Here, we focus on understanding and countering resistance to sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki that evolved in commercial greenhouse populations of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (7, 17).We compared responses to single toxins and formulations of B. thuringiensis by two resistant strains (GipBtR and GlenBtR) and two related susceptible strains (GipS and GlenS) of T. ni. All four strains were started by the collection of larvae in 2001 from commercial greenhouses near Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada (7). Resistance evolved in the greenhouses in response to repeated sprays of DiPel (7), a formulation of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki strain HD1 containing Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry2Aa (9). Previously reported concentrations required to kill 50% of larvae (LC₅₀s) indicated that, relative to a susceptible laboratory strain, initial resistance to DiPel was 113-fold in the Gip population (labeled T2c in reference 7) and 24-fold in the Glen population (labeled P5 in reference 7).We reared larvae on a wheat germ diet (5) at 26°C on a light-to-dark schedule of 16 h:8 h. GipS and GlenS were reared on diet without B. thuringiensis toxins, which allowed resistance to decline (7). To maintain resistance, GipBtR and GlenBtR were reared each generation on a diet treated with 5 or 10 mg of DiPel WP (Abbott Laboratories, Ontario, Canada) per milliliter of diet (7). In bioassays, groups of five third-instar larvae were put in 60-ml plastic cups containing diet, and mortality was assessed after 3 days by gently probing larvae for movement.We used diet overlay bioassays to evaluate the toxicity to GipBtR and GipS of the protoxin forms of Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1AbMod, and Cry1AcMod produced in B. thuringiensis strains (12). Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod are genetically engineered variants of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac, respectively, each lacking 56 amino acids from the amino-terminal region, including helix α-1 (12). An 80-μl aliquot containing distilled water and toxin was dispensed evenly over the surfaces of 2 ml of diet (a mean surface area of 7.1 cm²) and allowed to dry. Fifty to 200 larvae from each strain were tested at five to eight concentrations of each toxin.We used diet incorporation bioassays (7) to evaluate the toxicities of DiPel and Agree WG (Certis, Columbia, MD) to GipS, GipBtR, GlenS, and GlenBtR. Agree is a formulation of hybrid strain GC91, which was created from the conjugation-like transfer of a plasmid from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki strain HD191 into B. thuringiensis subsp. aizawai strain HD135, and it contains Cry1Ac, Cry1C, and Cry1D (1, 8). DiPel and Agree were diluted in distilled water and mixed into diet (7). Twenty-five to 50 larvae from each strain were tested at six to seven concentrations of DiPel and Agree.We used probit analysis (13) to estimate the LC₅₀s and their 95% fiducial limits (FL), as well as the slopes of concentration-mortality lines and their standard errors. The mortality of larvae fed treated diet was not adjusted for the mortality of control larvae on untreated diet, because the control mortality was low (mean, 3.6%; range, 0 to 16%). LC₅₀s with nonoverlapping 95% FL are significantly different. Resistance ratios were calculated as the LC₅₀ of a resistant strain (GipBtR or GlenBtR) divided by the LC₅₀ of its susceptible counterpart (GipS or GlenS).The genetically modified toxins Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod were much more effective than the native toxins Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac against larvae of T. ni from the resistant GipBtR strain (Table ​(Table1).1). Resistance ratios of GipBtR were 580 for Cry1Ab and 1,400 for Cry1Ac but only 5.5 for Cry1AbMod and 9.3 for Cry1AcMod (Table ​(Table1).1). Against GipBtR, the LC₅₀ was 53-fold higher for Cry1Ab than for Cry1AbMod and 11-fold higher for Cry1Ac than for Cry1AcMod (Table ​(Table1).1). Against GipS, however, the LC₅₀ was 2-fold higher for Cry1AbMod than for Cry1Ab and 14-fold higher for Cry1AcMod than for Cry1Ac (Table ​(Table11).

TABLE 1.

Responses of resistant (GipBtR and GlenBtR) and susceptible (GipS and GlenS) strains of T. ni to native toxins (Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac), modified toxins (Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod), and formulations (DiPel and Agree)

Antimicrobial Activity of Simulated Solar Disinfection against Bacterial,Fungal, and Protozoan Pathogens and Its Enhancement by Riboflavin

Riboflavin significantly enhanced the efficacy of simulated solar disinfection (SODIS) at 150 watts per square meter (W m⁻²) against a variety of microorganisms, including Escherichia coli, Fusarium solani, Candida albicans, and Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites (>3 to 4 log₁₀ after 2 to 6 h; P < 0.001). With A. polyphaga cysts, the kill (3.5 log₁₀ after 6 h) was obtained only in the presence of riboflavin and 250 W m⁻² irradiance.Solar disinfection (SODIS) is an established and proven technique for the generation of safer drinking water (11). Water is collected into transparent plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and placed in direct sunlight for 6 to 8 h prior to consumption (14). The application of SODIS has been shown to be a simple and cost-effective method for reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal infection in communities where potable water is not available (2-4). Under laboratory conditions using simulated sunlight, SODIS has been shown to inactivate pathogenic bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa (6, 12, 15). Although SODIS is not fully understood, it is believed to achieve microbial killing through a combination of DNA-damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thermal inactivation from solar heating (21).The combination of UVA radiation and riboflavin (vitamin B₂) has recently been reported to have therapeutic application in the treatment of bacterial and fungal ocular pathogens (13, 17) and has also been proposed as a method for decontaminating donor blood products prior to transfusion (1). In the present study, we report that the addition of riboflavin significantly enhances the disinfectant efficacy of simulated SODIS against bacterial, fungal, and protozoan pathogens.Chemicals and media were obtained from Sigma (Dorset, United Kingdom), Oxoid (Basingstoke, United Kingdom), and BD (Oxford, United Kingdom). Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), and Fusarium solani (ATCC 36031) were obtained from ATCC (through LGC Standards, United Kingdom). Escherichia coli (JM101) was obtained in house, and the Legionella pneumophila strain used was a recent environmental isolate.B. subtilis spores were produced from culture on a previously published defined sporulation medium (19). L. pneumophila was grown on buffered charcoal-yeast extract agar (5). All other bacteria were cultured on tryptone soy agar, and C. albicans was cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar as described previously (9). Fusarium solani was cultured on potato dextrose agar, and conidia were prepared as reported previously (7). Acanthamoeba polyphaga (Ros) was isolated from an unpublished keratitis case at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom, in 1991. Trophozoites were maintained and cysts prepared as described previously (8, 18).Assays were conducted in transparent 12-well tissue culture microtiter plates with UV-transparent lids (Helena Biosciences, United Kingdom). Test organisms (1 × 10⁶/ml) were suspended in 3 ml of one-quarter-strength Ringer''s solution or natural freshwater (as pretreated water from a reservoir in United Kingdom) with or without riboflavin (250 μM). The plates were exposed to simulated sunlight at an optical output irradiance of 150 watts per square meter (W m⁻²) delivered from an HPR125 W quartz mercury arc lamp (Philips, Guildford, United Kingdom). Optical irradiances were measured using a calibrated broadband optical power meter (Melles Griot, Netherlands). Test plates were maintained at 30°C by partial submersion in a water bath.At timed intervals for bacteria and fungi, the aliquots were plated out by using a WASP spiral plater and colonies subsequently counted by using a ProtoCOL automated colony counter (Don Whitley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom). Acanthamoeba trophozoite and cyst viabilities were determined as described previously (6). Statistical analysis was performed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of data from triplicate experiments via the InStat statistical software package (GraphPad, La Jolla, CA).The efficacies of simulated sunlight at an optical output irradiance of 150 W m⁻² alone (SODIS) and in the presence of 250 μM riboflavin (SODIS-R) against the test organisms are shown in Table ​Table1.1. With the exception of B. subtilis spores and A. polyphaga cysts, SODIS-R resulted in a significant increase in microbial killing compared to SODIS alone (P < 0.001). In most instances, SODIS-R achieved total inactivation by 2 h, compared to 6 h for SODIS alone (Table ​(Table1).1). For F. solani, C. albicans, ands A. polyphaga trophozoites, only SODIS-R achieved a complete organism kill after 4 to 6 h (P < 0.001). All control experiments in which the experiments were protected from the light source showed no reduction in organism viability over the time course (results not shown).

TABLE 1.

Efficacies of simulated SODIS for 6 h alone and with 250 μM riboflavin (SODIS-R)

Spontaneous Quinolone Resistance in the Zoonotic Serovar of Vibrio vulnificus

This work demonstrates that Vibrio vulnificus biotype 2, serovar E, an eel pathogen able to infect humans, can become resistant to quinolone by specific mutations in gyrA (substitution of isoleucine for serine at position 83) and to some fluoroquinolones by additional mutations in parC (substitution of lysine for serine at position 85). Thus, to avoid the selection of resistant strains that are potentially pathogenic for humans, antibiotics other than quinolones must be used to treat vibriosis on farms.Vibrio vulnificus is an aquatic bacterium from warm and tropical ecosystems that causes vibriosis in humans and fish (http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/vibriov_gi.html) (33). The species is heterogeneous and has been subdivided into three biotypes and more than eight serovars (6, 15, 33; our unpublished results). While biotypes 1 and 3 are innocuous for fish, biotype 2 can infect nonimmune fish, mainly eels, by colonizing the gills, invading the bloodstream, and causing death by septicemia (23). The disease is rapidly transmitted through water and can result in significant economic losses to fish farmers. Surviving eels are immune to the disease and can act as carriers, transmitting vibriosis between farms. Interestingly, biotype 2 isolates belonging to serovar E have been isolated from human infections, suggesting that serovar E is zoonotic (2). This serovar is also the most virulent for fish and has been responsible for the closure of several farms due to massive losses of fish. A vaccine, named Vulnivaccine, has been developed from serovar E isolates and has been successfully tested in the field (14). Although the vaccine provides fish with long-term protection from vibriosis, at present its use is restricted to Spain. For this reason, in many fish farms around the world, vibriosis is treated with antibiotics, which are usually added to the food or water.Quinolones are considered the most effective antibiotics against human and fish vibriosis (19, 21, 31). These antibiotics can persist for a long time in the environment (20), which could favor the emergence of resistant strains under selective pressure. In fact, spontaneous resistances to quinolones by chromosomal mutations have been described for some gram-negative bacteria (10, 11, 17, 24, 25, 26). Therefore, improper antibiotic treatment of eel vibriosis or inadequate residue elimination at farms could favor the emergence of human-pathogenic serovar E strains resistant to quinolones by spontaneous mutations. Thus, the main objective of the present work was to find out if the zoonotic serovar of biotype 2 can become quinolone resistant under selective pressure and determine the molecular basis of this resistance.Very few reports on resistance to antibiotics in V. vulnificus have been published; most of them have been performed with biotype 1 isolates. For this reason, the first task of this study was to determine the antibiotic resistance patterns in a wide collection of V. vulnificus strains belonging to the three biotypes that had been isolated worldwide from different sources (see Table S1 in the supplemental material). Isolates were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility to the antibiotics listed in Table S1 in the supplemental material by the agar diffusion disk procedure of Bauer et al. (5), according to the standard guideline (9). The resistance pattern found for each isolate is shown in Table S1 in the supplemental material. Less than 14% of isolates were sensitive to all the antibiotics tested, and more than 65% were resistant to more than one antibiotic, irrespective of their biotypes or serovars. The most frequent resistances were to ampicillin-sulbactam (SAM; 65.6% of the strains) and nitrofurantoin (F; 60.8% of the strains), and the least frequent were to tetracycline (12%) and oxytetracycline (8%). In addition, 15% of the strains were resistant to nalidixic acid (NAL) and oxolinic acid (OA), and 75% of these strains came from fish farms (see Table S1 in the supplemental material). Thus, high percentages of strains of the three biotypes were shown to be resistant to one or more antibiotics, with percentages similar to those found in nonbiotyped environmental V. vulnificus isolates from Asia and North America (4, 27, 34). In those studies, resistance to antibiotics could not be related to human contamination. However, the percentage of quinolone-resistant strains found in our study is higher than that reported in other ones, probably due to the inclusion of fish farm isolates, where the majority of quinolone-resistant strains were concentrated. This fact suggests that quinolone resistance could be related to human contamination due to the improper use of these drugs in therapy against fish diseases, as has been previously suggested (18, 20). Although no specific resistance pattern was associated with particular biotypes or serovars, we found certain differences in resistance distribution, as shown in Table ​Table1.1. In this respect, biotype 3 displayed the narrowest spectrum of resistances and biotype 1 the widest. The latter biotype encompassed the highest number of strains with multiresistance (see Table S1 in the supplemental material). Within biotype 2, there were differences among serovars, with quinolone resistance being restricted to the zoonotic serovar (Table ​(Table11).

TABLE 1.

Percentage of resistant strains distributed by biotypes and serovars