LysGH15 reduces the inflammation caused by lethal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in mice

The endolysin LysGH15, derived from staphylococcal phage GH15, has a wide lytic spectrum and strong lytic activity against Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), in vitro and in vivo. Here, the ability of lethal MRSA to induce mRNA levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in spleen tissues of mice was studied. A large number of bacteria were detected in spleens. The bacteria caused elevated expression levels of these three cytokines. Administration of LysGH15 significantly reduced the number of bacteria and the levels of IL-6, IL-4, and IFN-γ mRNA in spleen cells compared with those in untreated mice at 24 h (P < 0.05). LysGH15 can eliminate a large number of bacteria and effectively alleviate inflammation induced by infection with lethal MRSA.     

Biotechnological challenges of phage therapy

The challenges for successful launching of a profitable phage therapeutic product include intellectual property rights, safety issues, reproducibility, stability and robustness of the product. A successful and marketable product would be a highly purified bacteriophage preparation containing one or several fully characterized phages, accompanied by optimized methods of administration and backed up by properly controlled efficacy and safety studies.     

Immunity induced by Staphylococcus aureus surface protein A was protective against lethal challenge of Staphylococcus aureus in BALB/c mice

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of hospital-acquired bacteremia. Due to emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, these infections present a serious public health threat. In this study, to develop a broadly protective vaccine, we tested whether immune responses induced by several proteins associated with S. aureus toxicity could protect mice from lethal challenge with human clinical S. aureus isolate USA300. We found that the surface protein A (SasA) of S. aureus could protect mice from lethal challenge of the bacteria.     

噬菌体及其裂解酶控制金黄色葡萄球菌的研究进展

近70年来,由于抗生素的广泛使用,耐药金黄色葡萄球菌不断出现。美国1999～2005年因感染耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）而入院的患者增加1倍多,其中诊断为败血症的患者增加81．2％。因此,寻找控制耐药菌的新对策十分迫切。目前有望替代抗生素的控菌手段有抗菌肽、噬菌体等。其中,噬菌体的发现早于抗生素,后因抗生素的普及而被忽视。如今,耐药菌株的流行使噬菌体治疗再次受到关注。本文就应用噬菌体及其裂解酶控制金黄色葡萄球菌的研究进展进行综述。     

Targeting the R domain of coagulase by active vaccination protects mice against lethal Staphylococcus aureus infection

Coagulase (Coa) secreted by Staphylococcus aureus is associated with the establishment of staphylococcal disease, which activates host prothrombin and generates fibrin shields. The R domain of Coa, consisting of several conserved repeats, is important in immune evasion during S. aureus infection. However, previous research showed that the Coa R domain induced very weak specific antibody responses. In this study, we constructed a new R domain, CoaR6, consisting of 6 repeats that occur most frequently in clinical isolates. By fusing CoaR6 with Hc, the C-terminal fragment of the heavy chain of tetanus neurotoxin, we successfully increased anti-CoaR6 IgG levels in immunized mice which were hardly detected in mice immunized with CoaR6 plus alum. To further improve anti-CoaR6 responses, the combination adjuvants alum plus CpG were formulated with the antigen and exhibited a significantly higher specific antibody response. Moreover, active Th1/Th17 immune responses were observed in Hc-CoaR6 immunized group rather than CoaR6. Active immunization of Hc-CoaR6 with alum plus CpG showed protective effects in a peritonitis model induced by two S. aureus strains with different coagulase types. Our results provided strategies to improve the immunogenicity of R domain and supporting evidences for R domain to be an S. aureus vaccine candidate.     

噬菌体对黏质沙雷菌感染 BA LB／c小鼠的保护作用

本文旨在观察噬菌体对黏质沙雷菌感染小鼠的治疗作用,为噬菌体疗法应用于细菌性感染提供依据。以黏质沙雷菌为宿主菌,采用双层琼脂噬斑法从污水中分离和纯化裂解性噬菌体。将最小致死量的黏质沙雷菌经腹腔感染BALB／c小鼠后,立即腹腔注射不同剂量的噬菌体,观察动物的生存率并确定噬菌体的保护剂量。在动物感染后的不同时间（0、20、40、60和180 min ）观察噬菌体疗法对动物存活率的影响。将噬菌体和细菌同时或分别注射动物后,分析噬菌体在动物体内的药代动力学。结果显示,经噬斑法从污水中分离出1株裂解性噬菌体（命名为φSM9‐3Y ）,电镜观察发现该噬菌体属有尾噬菌体目肌尾噬菌体科。动物腹腔感染黏质沙雷菌并立即给予噬菌体后发现,当噬菌体的保护剂量为108 PFU／ml时,动物的存活率为100％。动物感染后40和60 min给予噬菌体（1010 PFU／ml）治疗,动物的存活率为60％。药代动力学表明,将噬菌体和细菌同时注入动物体内,在6 h内噬菌体的滴度维持在1010 PFU／ml。结果提示,噬菌体对黏质沙雷菌所致动物腹腔内感染的治疗是有效的,提示针对细菌性感染的噬菌体疗法具有潜在的应用价值。     

凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌致新生儿败血症临床分析

目的了解本地区凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌（CNS）致新生儿败血症的病原学及耐药性状况,用以指导临床治疗。方法回顾性分析64株CNS致新生儿败血症血培养的病原学及耐药性。结果64株CNS中以表皮葡萄球菌和溶血葡萄球菌为主;耐甲氧西林凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌（MRCNS）39株,分离率为60．9％,β-内酰胺酶检出率达100％,MRCNS对青霉素、红霉素、苯唑西林耐药率最高,对利福平、呋西地酸、替考拉宁、喹奴普汀／达福普汀等耐药率均较低;甲氧西林敏感凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌（MSCNS）25株,分离率为39．1％,13-内酰胺酶检出率为44％,MSCNS对大多数抗生素敏感;64株CNS中未检测到万古霉素耐药株。结论新生儿败血症中CNS以表皮葡萄球菌和溶血葡萄球菌为主,MRCNS检出率高且呈多重耐药,应重视对其监测与控制。     

Serotype F double- and triple-converting phage insertionally inactivate the Staphylococcus aureus β-toxin determinant by a common molecular mechanism

Abstract The precise molecular mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus β -toxin inactivation by the serotype F triple-converting phage φ42, φA1 and φA3 was investigated. Sequence analysis of the φ42 ( attP ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( attB ) attachment sites and the left ( attL ) and right ( attR ) chromosomal/bacteriophage DNA junctions of individual lysogens, each harbouring a triple-converting phage, revealed the presence of a common 14-bp core sequence in all four sites. These findings indicate that the genomes of the triple-converting phage integrate into the 5'-end of the β-toxin gene ( hlb ) by a site- and orientation-specific mechanism identical to that previously described for the serotype F double-converting phage φ13.     

Increase of resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in mice caused by Staphylococcus aureus]

In our study of opportunistic pathogens, we have some indication that Staphylococcus aureus can increase resistance in mice against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Intraperitoneal injections of sublethal doses of S. aureus had a protective effect in mice against lethal doses of P. aeruginosa, more so if living and coagulase-positive S. aureus strains were injected. This protective effect was obtained both with laboratory and freshly isolated hospital strains. The interval between these infections can be extended from 2 h up to 1 week and it is still possible to observe the resistance phenomenon. The increased resistance was accompanied by a decrease in viable units of P. aeruginosa in the peritoneal cavity of mice 6 h after the injection of this species. There was no protection by S. aureus against Candida albicans in similar experimental conditions. These observations indicate that intermicrobial ecology, understood here as the previous presence of another species in a host, may be a significant factor in the resistance to infection with opportunistic pathogens such as P. aeruginosa.     

A novel peptide screened by phage display can mimic TRAP antigen epitope against Staphylococcus aureus infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen. Pathogenic effects are largely due to production of bacterial toxins, whose synthesis is controlled by an mRNA molecule termed RNAIII. The S. aureus protein called RAP (RNAIII-activating protein) is secreted and activates RNAIII production by inducing the phosphorylation of its target protein TRAP (target of RAP). Antibodies to TRAP have been shown to suppress exotoxin production by S. aureus in vitro, suggesting that TRAP may be a useful vaccine target site. Here we showed that a peptide TA21 was identified by screening a phage display library using anti-TRAP antibodies. Mice vaccinated with Escherichia coli engineered to express TA21 on their surface (FTA21) were protected from S. aureus infections, using sepsis and cellulitis mice models. By sequence analysis, it was found that the TA21 is highly homologous to the C-terminal sequence of TRAP which is conserved among S. aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, suggesting that peptide TA21 may be a useful broad vaccine to protect from infection caused by various staphylococcal strains.     

Photodynamic therapy for Staphylococcus aureus infected burn wounds in mice.

The rise of multiply antibiotic resistant bacteria has led to searches for novel antimicrobial therapies to treat infections. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a potential candidate; it uses the combination of a photosensitizer with visible light to produce reactive oxygen species that lead to cell death. We used PDT mediated by meso-mono-phenyl-tri(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)-porphyrin (PTMPP) to treat burn wounds in mice with established Staphylococcus aureus infections The third degree burn wounds were infected with bioluminescent S. aureus. PDT was applied after one day of bacterial growth by adding a 25% DMSO/500 microM PTMPP solution to the wound followed by illumination with red light and periodic imaging of the mice using a sensitive camera to detect the bioluminescence. More than 98% of the bacteria were eradicated after a light dose of 210 J cm(-2) in the presence of PTMPP. However, bacterial re-growth was observed. Light alone or PDT both delayed the wound healing. These data suggest that PDT has the potential to rapidly reduce the bacterial load in infected burns. The treatment needs to be optimized to reduce wound damage and prevent recurrence.     

超广谱β-内酰胺酶肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体F20的分离鉴定及其对小鼠败血症治疗效果

【背景】肺炎克雷伯菌是引起临床感染的重要条件致病菌之一,肺炎克雷伯菌中产超广谱β-内酰胺酶(Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases,ESBLs)的耐药菌株增多迫切需要找到一种新的治疗方法。【目的】自污水中分离超广谱β-内酰胺酶肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体,并明确其生物学特性、观察其治疗小鼠产ESBLs肺炎克雷伯菌感染的疗效。【方法】电镜观察F20形态,调查其噬菌谱、生长曲线等生物学特性。建立小鼠败血症感染模型观察F20治疗小鼠肺炎克雷伯菌感染的疗效。【结果】F20在其宿主菌的菌苔上形成裂解性噬菌体所具有的完全透明的噬菌斑,电镜观察F20具典型的有尾噬菌体目长尾病毒科病毒的形态特征。一步生长曲线显示F20的潜伏期为18 min,裂解量为89 PFU/细胞。稳定性试验显示F20在pH 5.0-9.0及50°C环境均具良好稳定性。使用噬菌体F20对败血症小鼠治疗后,治疗组小鼠各外周血和各脏器(肺脏、肝脏、脾脏和肾脏)中的细菌数也显著小于对照组细菌数(P0.001),与对照组相比下降大约1–3数量级。F20治疗败血症小鼠存活率达到87.5%,无毒副作用,而对照组小鼠在1 d内全部死亡,可显著提高小鼠的存活率(P0.001)。【结论】新分离的裂解性噬菌体F20在小鼠体内能安全有效地治疗超广谱β-内酰胺酶肺炎克雷伯菌引起的败血症,可作为生物抗菌剂的有效成分。     

Female-specific dominant lethal effects in mice

For some chemicals, induction of presumed dominant lethal mutations has been observed only in female mice and not in males. In those cases, questions arise as to (1) whether the increased embryonic mortality is due to genetic effects of the chemicals in the oocyte or, (2) is caused indirectly through maternal toxicity, and, if genetic, (3) the basis for the sex difference. These questions were studied using the compounds adriamycin and platinol. Neither compound induces dominant lethals in male germ cells, but both increased early embryonic mortality when females were treated prior to mating (treatment of maturing oocytes). Reciprocal zygote transfer experiments rules out, either entirely or for the large part, maternal toxicit as the cause, and cytogenetic analysis of first-cleavage metaphases revealed high incidences of chromosomal aberrations. The results of both of these experiments thus provide evidence that the early embryonic mortality resulted from genetic effects induced in oocytes. Most interestingly, each compound produced unexpected types of chromosomal aberrations. Adriamycin produced deletions, rings, and presumed chromosome-type rearrangements. Platinol, on the other hand, produced a few chromatid-type aberrations, but the bulk of aberrations were characterized by disorganization of the chromatin, minute fragments, and thread-lik chromatin bridges between fragments and chromosomes or between two or more chromosomes. The latter type of cytogenetic damage was observed primarily in the compounds are associated with the diffused state of the maturing oocyte chromosomes.     

The truncated phage lysin CHAP(k) eliminates Staphylococcus aureus in the nares of mice

The endolysin LysK derived from staphylococcal phage K has previously been shown to have two enzymatic domains, one of which is an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase and the other a cysteine/histidine-dependant amidohydrolase/peptidase designated CHAP(k). The latter, when cloned as a single-domain truncated enzyme, is conveniently overexpressed in a highly-soluble form. This enzyme was shown to be highly active in vitro against live cell suspensions of S. aureus. In the current study, the IVIS imaging system was used to demonstrate the effective elimination of a lux labeled S. aureus from the nares of BALB/c mice.     

金黄色葡萄球菌致小鼠慢性输卵管炎性不孕模型制作

目的通过金黄色葡萄球菌直接感染小鼠输卵管,建立炎症致不孕的动物模型。方法用1×109/mL的金黄色葡萄球菌接种小鼠,制作慢性输卵管炎症模型,观察输卵管病理炎性改变以及小鼠的受孕情况。结果造模术75 d后,模型组小鼠受孕率、输卵管通畅率显著低于对照组（P〈0.001）。模型组肉眼观察输卵管有不同程度积水积脓、僵硬,输卵管与周围组织均有不同程度的粘连;病理学观察输卵管管腔被异物肉芽组织完全阻塞,全层均见大量慢性炎细胞浸润。结论输卵管内接种浓度1×109/mL的金黄色葡萄球菌可以成功建立小鼠输卵管炎性不孕模型。     

A Staphylococcus aureus pore-forming toxin subverts the activity of ADAM10 to cause lethal infection in mice

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of human disease, responsible for half a million infections and approximately 20,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. This pathogen secretes α-hemolysin, a pore-forming cytotoxin that contributes to the pathogenesis of pneumonia. α-hemolysin injures epithelial cells in vitro by interacting with its receptor, the zinc-dependent metalloprotease ADAM10 (ref. 6). We show here that mice harboring a conditional disruption of the Adam10 gene in lung epithelium are resistant to lethal pneumonia. Investigation of the molecular mechanism of toxin-receptor function revealed that α-hemolysin upregulates ADAM10 metalloprotease activity in alveolar epithelial cells, resulting in cleavage of the adherens junction protein E-cadherin. Cleavage is associated with disruption of epithelial barrier function, contributing to the pathogenesis of lethal acute lung injury. A metalloprotease inhibitor of ADAM10 prevents E-cadherin cleavage in response to Hla; similarly, toxin-dependent E-cadherin proteolysis and barrier disruption is attenuated in ADAM10-knockout mice. Together, these data attest to the function of ADAM10 as the cellular receptor for α-hemolysin. The observation that α-hemolysin can usurp the metalloprotease activity of its receptor reveals a previously unknown mechanism of pore-forming cytotoxin action in which pathologic insults are not solely the result of irreversible membrane injury and defines ADAM10 inhibition as a strategy to attenuate α-hemolysin-induced disease.     

Biological properties, phage typing and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from dermatitis in laboratory mice

The characteristics of 167 isolates of S. aureus from 106 mice suffering dermatitis were examined. All 167 isolates coagulated both rabbit and human plasmas and 161 of them also coagulated bovine plasma. All the isolates produced heat-stable and heat-labile DNase, phosphatase and yellow pigment, reduced nitrate, hydrolysed egg yolk, Tween 80, and hippurate, and grew on crystal violet agar in colonies of the negative type C and on medium with 10% NaCl. The majority of them produced fibrinolysin, protease and acetoin. Fifty-three percent were gelatinase positive. In hemolysis tests, 25, 57 and 45 isolates showed alpha-, beta-, alpha beta-hemolysis, respectively. Forty isolates did not produce hemolysins in the rabbit and sheep blood agar. All of 75 isolates tested produced acid from fructose, galactose, glucose, glycerol and mannose, but did not from arabinose, dextrin, inulin, raffinose, salicin, sorbitol and xylose. Most of these isolates produced acid from lactose, mannitol, sucrose and trehalose. All of the 75 isolates were highly sensitive to penicillin, methylphenylisoxazolyl penicillin, erythromycin, spiramycin, lincomycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, kanamycin, gentamicin and cephaloridine, but were resistant to sulfisoxazole. With phages of human set, all 167 isolates were typable at 100 X RTD. All but one of the typable isolates belonged to mixed lytic groups. These were I + III (35 isolates), I + M (1), I + III + M (124) and I + II + III + M (6), with long phage patterns. When the 167 isolates were biotyped as described by Hájek and Marsálek [7, 8], 5 belonged to biotype A, 1 to biotype B and 60 to biotype C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Methyltransferases acquired by lactococcal 936-type phage provide protection against restriction endonuclease activity

Background

So-called 936-type phages are among the most frequently isolated phages in dairy facilities utilising Lactococcus lactis starter cultures. Despite extensive efforts to control phage proliferation and decades of research, these phages continue to negatively impact cheese production in terms of the final product quality and consequently, monetary return.

Results

Whole genome sequencing and in silico analysis of three 936-type phage genomes identified several putative (orphan) methyltransferase (MTase)-encoding genes located within the packaging and replication regions of the genome. Utilising SMRT sequencing, methylome analysis was performed on all three phages, allowing the identification of adenine modifications consistent with N-6 methyladenine sequence methylation, which in some cases could be attributed to these phage-encoded MTases. Heterologous gene expression revealed that M.Phi145I/M.Phi93I and M.Phi93DAM, encoded by genes located within the packaging module, provide protection against the restriction enzymes HphI and DpnII, respectively, representing the first functional MTases identified in members of 936-type phages.

Conclusions

SMRT sequencing technology enabled the identification of the target motifs of MTases encoded by the genomes of three lytic 936-type phages and these MTases represent the first functional MTases identified in this species of phage. The presence of these MTase-encoding genes on 936-type phage genomes is assumed to represent an adaptive response to circumvent host encoded restriction-modification systems thereby increasing the fitness of the phages in a dynamic dairy environment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-831) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

金葡菌L型感染致小鼠肿瘤中Survivin、Ki-67的表达及意义

目的探讨金黄色葡萄球菌(金葡菌)L型感染C57小鼠致瘤后,凋亡蛋白抑制因子(Survivin)和增殖细胞核相关抗原(Ki-67)在小鼠肿瘤及癌前病变中的表达及相关性研究。方法动物实验观察金葡菌L型感染90只C57小鼠后11.1%(10/90)小鼠发生肿瘤,14.4%(13/90)小鼠引起癌前病变。革兰染色、免疫组化及原位杂交检测小鼠肿瘤和癌前病变中金葡菌L型检出率和Survivin、Ki-67蛋白及cDNA的表达。结果10只小鼠肿瘤及13只小鼠癌前病变中金葡菌L型检出率及其cDNA阳性表达与正常对照组差异有非常显著性(P0.005~0.01);Survivin、Ki-67蛋白和cDNA的阳性表达与正常对照组差异有显著性(P0.01~0.05),呈正相关。结论金葡菌L型感染可能与Survivin、Ki-67基因协同在小鼠肿瘤发生和发展中起重要作用。