Identification and characterization of a type III secretion-associated chaperone in the type III secretion system 1 of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes human gastroenteritis. Genomic sequencing of this organism has revealed that it has two sets of type III secretion systems, T3SS1 and T3SS2, both of which are important for its pathogenicity. However, the mechanism of protein secretion via T3SSs is unknown. A characteristic of many effectors is that they require specific chaperones for efficient delivery via T3SSs; however, no chaperone has been experimentally identified in the T3SSs of V. parahaemolyticus . In this study, we identified candidate T3SS1-associated chaperones from genomic sequence data and examined their roles in effector secretion/translocation and binding to their cognate substrates. From these experiments, we concluded that there is a T3S-associated chaperone, VecA, for a cytotoxic T3SS1-dependent effector, VepA. Further analysis using pulldown and secretion assays characterized the chaperone-binding domain encompassing the first 30–100 amino acids and an amino terminal secretion signal encompassing the first 5–20 amino acids on VepA. These findings will provide a strategy to clarify how the T3SS1 of V. parahaemolyticus secretes its specific effectors.     

Identification and characterization of VopT, a novel ADP-ribosyltransferase effector protein secreted via the Vibrio parahaemolyticus type III secretion system 2

Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain RIMD2210633 has two sets of genes encoding two separate type III secretion systems (T3SSs), called T3SS1 and T3SS2. T3SS2 has a role in enterotoxicity and is present only in Kanagawa phenomenon-positive strains, which are pathogenic to humans. Accordingly, T3SS2 is considered to be closely related to V. parahaemolyticus human pathogenicity. Despite this, the biological actions of T3SS2 and the identity of the effector protein(s) secreted by this system have not been well understood. Here we report that T3SS2 induces a cytotoxic effect in Caco-2 and HCT-8 cells. Moreover, it was revealed that VPA1327 (vopT), a gene encoded within the proximity of T3SS2, is partly responsible for this cytotoxic effect. The VopT shows approximately 45% and 44% identity with the ADP-ribosyltransferase (ADPRT) domain of ExoT and ExoS, respectively, which are two T3SS-secreted effectors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. T3SS2 was found to be necessary not only for the secretion, but also for the translocation of the VopT into host cells. We also demonstrate that VopT ADP-ribosylates Ras, a member of the low-molecular-weight G (LMWG) proteins both in vivo and in vitro. These results indicate that VopT is a novel ADPRT effector secreted via V. parahaemolyticus T3SS.     

The role of type III secretion System 2 in Vibrio parahaemolyticus pathogenicity

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a Gram-negative marine bacterial pathogen, is emerging as a major cause of food-borne illnesses worldwide due to the consumption of raw seafood leading to diseases including gastroenteritis, wound infection, and septicemia. The bacteria utilize toxins and type III secretion system (T3SS) to trigger virulence. T3SS is a multi-subunit needle-like apparatus used to deliver bacterial proteins, termed effectors, into the host cytoplasm which then target various eukaryotic signaling pathways. V. parahaemolyticus carries two T3SSs in each of its two chromosomes, named T3SS1 and T3SS2, both of which play crucial yet distinct roles during infection: T3SS1 causes cytotoxicity whereas T3SS2 is mainly associated with enterotoxicity. Each T3SS secretes a unique set of effectors that contribute to virulence by acting on different host targets and serving different functions. Emerging studies on T3SS2 of V. parahaemolyticus, reveal its regulation, translocation, discovery, characterization of its effectors, and development of animal models to understand the enterotoxicity. This review on recent findings for T3SS2 of V. parahaemolyticus highlights a novel mechanism of invasion that appears to be conserved by other marine bacteria.     

Distribution of type III secretion systems in Vibrio parahaemolyticus from the northern Gulf of Mexico

Aims: Two well‐characterized Vibrio parahaemolyticus pathogenicity factors – thermostable direct haemolysin (TDH) and TDH‐related haemolysin – are produced by strains containing the tdh and trh genes, respectively. Most strains of V. parahaemolyticus contain two nonredundant type III secretion systems (T3SS), T3SS1 and T3SS2, both of which contribute to pathogenicity. Furthermore, a recent study has revealed two distinct lineages of the V. parahaemolyticus T3SS2: T3SS2α and T3SS2β. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of these pathogenicity factors in environmental isolates of V. parahaemolyticus. Methods and Results: We collected 130 V. parahaemolyticus isolates (TCBS agar) containing tdh and/or trh (determined by colony hybridization) from sediment, oyster and water in the northern Gulf of Mexico and screened them and 12 clinical isolates (PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis) for pathogenicity factors tdh, trh, T3SS1, T3SS2α and T3SS2β. The majority of potential pathogens were detected in the sediment, including all tdh^?/trh⁺ isolates. T3SS2α components were detected in all tdh⁺/trh ^? isolates and zero of 109 trh⁺ isolates. One T3SS2α gene, vopB2, was found in all tdh⁺/trh^? clinical strains but not in any of the 130 environmental strains. Fluorescence in situ hybridization adapted for individual gene recognition (RING‐FISH) was used to confirm the presence/absence of vopB2. T3SS2β was found in all tdh^?/trh⁺ isolates and in no tdh⁺/trh^? isolates. Conclusions: The combination of haemolysins found in each isolate consistently corresponded to the presence and type of T3SS detected. The vopB2 gene may represent a novel marker for identifying increased virulence among strains. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first study to confirm the presence of T3SS2β genes in V. parahaemolyticus strains isolated from the Gulf of Mexico and one of the few that examines the distribution and co‐existence of tdh, trh, T3SS1, T3SS2α and T3SS2β in a large collection of environmental strains.     

Identification of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus type III secretion system 2-associated chaperone VocC for the T3SS2-specific effector VopC

The enteropathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus possesses two sets of type III secretion systems, T3SS1 and T3SS2. Effector proteins secreted by these T3SSs are delivered into host cells, leading to cell death or diarrhea. However, it is not known how specific effectors are secreted through a specific T3SS when both T3SSs are expressed within bacteria. One molecule thought to determine secretion specificity is a T3SS-associated chaperone; however, no T3SS2-specific chaperone has been identified. Therefore, we screened T3SS2 chaperone candidates by a pull-down assay using T3SS2 effectors fused with glutathione-S-transferase. A secretion assay revealed that the newly identified cognate chaperone VocC for the T3SS2-specific effector VopC was required for the efficient secretion of the substrate through T3SS2. Further experiments determined the chaperone-binding domain and the amino-terminal secretion signal of the cognate effector. These findings, in addition to the previously identified T3SS1-specific chaperone, VecA, provide a strategy to clarify the specificity of effector secretion through T3SSs of V.?parahaemolyticus.     

The regulatory network of Vibrio parahaemolyticus type VI secretion system 1

Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are widespread, tightly regulated, protein delivery apparatuses used by Gram-negative bacteria to outcompete their neighbours. The pathogen, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, encodes two T6SSs. These T6SSs are differentially regulated by external conditions. T6SS1, an antibacterial system predominantly found in pathogenic isolates, requires warm marine-like conditions and surface sensing for activation. The regulatory network that governs this activation is not well understood. In this work, we devised a screening methodology that allows us to easily monitor the outcome of bacterial competitions and thus to identify mutants that are defective in T6SS1-mediated bacterial killing. The methodology, termed Ba cterial Co mpetition F luorescence (BaCoF), relies on detection of a fluorescent signal as an indicator of the survival and growth of a T6SS-sensitive, GFP-expressing prey that has been co-cultured with mutants derived from a T6SS⁺ attacker of interest. Using BaCoF, we screened a random transposon insertion mutant library and identified genes required for V. parahaemolyticus T6SS1 activation, among them TfoY and Tmk. We used epistasis experiments to determine the relationships between the newly identified components and other regulators that were previously described. Thus, we present here a detailed biological understanding of the T6SS1 regulatory network.     

副溶血性弧菌食物中毒及腹泻菌株III型分泌系统的检测及分析

目的了解副溶血性弧菌食物中毒和临床腹泻株Ⅲ型分泌系统的分布以及耐药特征。方法对食物中毒和临床腹泻分离到的共21株副溶血性弧菌进行毒力基因tdh、trh、T3SS1、T3SS2α、T3SS2β和toxR检测,并用VITEK 2 compact全自动微生物鉴定系统进行了耐药性分析。结果 21株菌株中tdh+/trh-占90.48%(19/21),tdh-/trh+和tdh-/trh-分别占4.76%、4.76%,未检测到tdh+/trh+菌株。T3SS1广泛存在于所有菌株中。T3SS2α存在于tdh+/trh-菌株,T3SS2β存在于tdh-/trh+菌株。1株食物中毒菌株毒力基因携带情况为tdh-/trh-/T3SS2α-/T3SS2β-。21株副溶血性弧菌对阿莫西林、头孢吡肟、抗菌素B、庆大霉素、环丙沙星和复方新诺明敏感,对氨苄西林完全耐药。结论食物中毒和临床腹泻分离到的菌株大多携带tdh基因,T3SS2α与tdh相关,而T3SS2β则存在于trh+菌株。未携带tdh和trh基因的食物中毒分离株表明副溶血性弧菌不仅仅依赖TDH和TRH发挥毒力作用,其致病机制具有多样性和复杂性。     

Acquired type III secretion system determines environmental fitness of epidemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the interaction with bacterivorous protists

Genome analyses of marine microbial communities have revealed the widespread occurrence of genomic islands (GIs), many of which encode for protein secretion machineries described in the context of bacteria-eukaryote interactions. Yet experimental support for the specific roles of such GIs in aquatic community interactions remains scarce. Here, we test for the contribution of type III secretion systems (T3SS) to the environmental fitness of epidemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Comparisons of V. parahaemolyticus wild types and T3SS-defective mutants demonstrate that the T3SS encoded on genome island VPaI-7 (T3SS-2) promotes survival of V. parahaemolyticus in the interaction with diverse protist taxa. Enhanced persistence was found to be due to T3SS-2 mediated cytotoxicity and facultative parasitism of V. parahaemolyticus on coexisting protists. Growth in the presence of bacterivorous protists and the T3SS-2 genotype showed a strong correlation across environmental and clinical isolates of V. parahaemolyticus. Short-term microcosm experiments provide evidence that protistan hosts facilitate the invasion of T3SS-2 positive V. parahaemolyticus into a coastal plankton community, and that water temperature and productivity further promote enhanced survival of T3SS-2 positive V. parahaemolyticus. This study is the first to describe the fitness advantage of GI-encoded functions in a microbial food web, which may provide a mechanistic explanation for the global spread and the seasonal dynamics of V. parahaemolyticus pathotypes, including the pandemic serotype cluster O3:K6, in aquatic environments.     

VopB1 and VopD1 are essential for translocation of type III secretion system 1 effectors of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a pathogenic Vibrio species that causes food-borne acute gastroenteritis, often related to the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. Vibrio parahaemolyticus has 2 type III secretion systems (T3SS1 and T3SS2). Here, we demonstrate that VP1657 (VopB1) and VP1656 (VopD1), which share sequence similarity with Pseudomonas genes popB (38%) and popD (36%), respectively, are essential for translocation of T3SS1 effectors into host cells. A VP1680CyaA fusion reporter system was constructed to observe effector translocation. Using this reporter assay we showed that the VopB1 and VopD1 deletion strains were unable to translocate VP1680 to host cell but that the secretion of VP1680 into the culture medium was not affected. VopB1 or VopD1 deletion strains did not enhance cytotoxicity and failed to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases and secretion of interleukin-8, which depend on VP1680. Thus, we conclude that VopB1 and VopD1 are essential components of the translocon. To target VopB1 and VopD1 may have therapeutic potential for the treatment or prevention in V.?parahaemolyticus infection.     

Environmental Vibrio parahaemolyticus DNA signatures validation

Insignia is a novel DNA computational system which uses highly efficient algorithms to compare bacterial genomes and to identify specific DNA signatures to distinguish a target bacterium, or group of bacteria, from all other known bacterial species. It is currently being validated using different bacterial groups, including Vibrio spp. In this study, the genomic analysis by Insignia was conducted on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a halophilic gram-negative bacteria which constitutes a leading cause of seafood-borne disease. Insignia was used to identify 37 V. parahaemolyticus-specific signatures and to design PCR assays to validate the representative signature sequences by TaqMan essays. The 37 assays targeted loci distributed around the genome and detected genes coding for hypothetical proteins and for proteins involved in adhesion, starvation and virulence. A panel of V. parahaemolyticus environmental strains isolated from the North Adriatic Sea (Italy) and from the Black Sea (Georgia) was used to validate the selected signatures. The signature assays revealed both sensitive and specific and the method allowed a more accurate identification of the tested bacterial strains at the species level when compared to biochemical and PCR standard methods. Using Insignia, it was possible to distinguish two different groups among the strains previously identified as V. parahaemolyticus: most of the strains were included in a "V. parahaemolyticus-like group" showing nearly all of the signatures assayed while a small group of 10 strains contained only a few of the signatures tested. By sequencing the 16S rDNA of this latter group, it was confirmed that they were not V. parahaemolyticus but in fact belonged to other Vibrio species. No significant genome-wide differences were detected between the strains isolated in Italy and in Georgia though the very different geographical origin.     

pH sensitivity of type III secretion system tip proteins

Many pathogenic gram-negative bacteria employ type III secretion systems to transport proteins into the host cell membrane and cytoplasm to subvert normal cellular functions. The type III secretion apparatus consists of a basal body spanning the inner and outer bacterial membranes and a needle which extends away from the bacterium. Recent work has found that a special class of proteins localizes to the tip of the needle to control secretion of effector proteins. Five of these tip proteins are IpaD (Shigella flexneri), BipD (Burkholderia pseudomallei), SipD (Salmonella spp.), LcrV (Yersinia spp.), and PcrV (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). In this study, the conformational stability of these proteins was characterized as a function of pH and temperature. Understanding the stability of the proteins in different pH environments is particularly important since they are expected to encounter different pH environments in their passage through the gastrointestinal tract and are exposed to low pH microenvironments near the surface of target cell membranes. Secondary and tertiary structural changes were monitored using the spectroscopic techniques of far-UV circular dichroism, Trp fluorescence, ANS fluorescence, and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. Optical density and right angle scattering measurements were also used to evaluate protein association/dissociation. Empirical phase diagrams were then applied to mathematically combine data from the various spectroscopic techniques to provide a global picture of the proteins' structural behavior in solution. The responses of the proteins to changes in temperature and pH conditions reveal two distinct subfamilies in terms of stability. The first is that of IpaD, BipD, and SipD whose corresponding phase diagrams show conformational differences at pH 5-6. The conserved pH dependence in this subfamily suggests possible common mechanistic function. In the second subfamily (LcrV and PcrV), conformational stability is directly related to pH, also indicating mechanistic similarities.