Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Josephine M. Bryant, Karen P. Brown, Sophie Burbaud, Isobel Everall, Juan M. Belardinelli, Daniela Rodriguez-Rincon, Dorothy M. Grogono, Chelsea M. Peterson, Deepshikha Verma, Ieuan E. Evans, Christopher Ruis, Aaron Weimann, Divya Arora, Sony Malhotra, Bridget Bannerman, Charlotte Passemar, Kerra Templeton, Gordon MacGregor, Kasim Jiwa, Andrew J. Fisher, Tom L. Blundell, Diane J. Ordway, Mary Jackson, Julian Parkhill, R. Andres Floto
Summary: The study suggests that epigenetic modifiers acquired through horizontal gene transfer can lead to sudden increases in the pathogenic potential of specific environmental clones, while allopatric parallel evolution during chronic lung infection promotes rapid increases in virulence. The findings indicate that constrained pathogenic evolution is observed while person-to-person transmission remains indirect.
Article
Microbiology
Jodie A. Schildkraut, Jordy P. M. Coolen, Sophie Burbaud, Jasper J. N. Sangen, Michael P. Kwint, R. Andres Floto, Huub J. M. op den Camp, Lindsey H. M. Te Brake, Heiman F. L. Wertheim, Kornelia Neveling, Wouter Hoefsloot, Jakko van Ingen
Summary: This study provides the first description of the major transcriptional mechanisms of tolerance to recommended antibiotics in Mycobacterium abscessus. The bacterium shows both drug-specific and common transcriptomic responses to antibiotic exposure. The findings have significant implications for understanding antibiotic resistance mechanisms and developing targeted therapeutic regimens.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Renan Marrichi Mauch, Peter ostrup Jensen, Tavs Qvist, Mette Kolpen, Claus Moser, Tacjana Pressler, Marcos Tadeu Nolasco da Silva, Niels Hoiby, Copenhagen Study Grp Mycobacterial Infect Cyst Fibrosis
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the adaptive immune response to Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABSC) and its cross-reactivity with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and non-CF controls. The results showed a similar immune response pattern in CF patients with MABSC and BCG-vaccinated controls, suggesting cross-reactivity. Importance: 6/10.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jerry A. Nick, Rebekah M. Dedrick, Alice L. Gray, Eszter K. Vladar, Bailey E. Smith, Krista G. Freeman, Kenneth C. Malcolm, L. Elaine Epperson, Nabeeh A. Hasan, Jo Hendrix, Kimberly Callahan, Kendra Walton, Brian Vestal, Emily Wheeler, Noel M. Rysavy, Katie Poch, Silvia Caceres, Valerie K. Lovell, Katherine B. Hisert, Vinicius Calado de Moura, Delphi Chatterjee, Prithwiraj De, Natalia Weakly, Stacey L. Martiniano, David A. Lynch, Charles L. Daley, Michael Strong, Fan Jia, Graham F. Hatfull, Rebecca M. Davidson
Summary: This study describes a successful phage treatment of treatment-refractory Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary infection in a patient with severe lung disease. The phages used in the treatment were engineered to enhance their ability to lyse M. abscessus and were specifically selected based on their effectiveness against the patient's bacterial isolate. The treatment resulted in genetic stability of the bacterial isolate and improved clinical symptoms in the patient.
Article
Microbiology
Nils Wetzstein, Margo Diricks, Thomas A. Kohl, Thomas A. Wichelhaus, Soenke Andres, Laura Paulowski, Carsten Schwarz, Astrid Lewin, Jan Kehrmann, Barbara C. Kahl, Karl Dichtl, Christian Huegel, Olaf Eickmeier, Christina Smaczny, Annika Schmidt, Stefan Zimmermann, Lutz Naehrlich, Sylvia Hafkemeyer, Stefan Niemann, Florian P. Maurer, Michael Hogardt
Summary: This study investigated the epidemiological situation of M. abscessus among CF patients in Germany by performing whole-genome sequencing of isolates. The study identified representatives of all reported DCCs but found no evidence for nosocomial transmission.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Kelley Hurst-Hess, Amanda Walz, Yong Yang, Helen McGuirk, Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero, Graham F. Hatfull, Pallavi Ghosh, Anil K. Ojha
Summary: In this study, it was found that a mycobacteriophage-encoded lysin B efficiently kills Mycobacterium abscessus and reduces the bacterial load in mice, suggesting its potential as a treatment for pulmonary M. abscessus infections.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Juan Manuel Belardinelli, Deepshikha Verma, Wei Li, Charlotte Avanzi, Crystal J. Wiersma, John T. Williams, Benjamin K. Johnson, Matthew Zimmerman, Nicholas Whittel, Bhanupriya Angala, Han Wang, Victoria Jones, Veronique Dartois, Vinicius C. N. de Moura, Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero, Camron Pearce, Alan R. Schenkel, Kenneth C. Malcolm, Jerry A. Nick, Susan A. Charman, Timothy N. C. Wells, Brendan K. Podell, Jonathan L. Vennerstrom, Diane J. Ordway, Robert B. Abramovitch, Mary Jackson
Summary: This study found that antimalarial drugs can serve as potent inhibitors of M. abscessus, offering potential for clinical treatment.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Margo Diricks, Matthias Merker, Nils Wetzstein, Thomas A. Kohl, Stefan Niemann, Florian P. Maurer
Summary: The authors developed a core-genome multilocus sequence typing scheme for Mycobacterium abscessus to facilitate standardized molecular surveillance. They validated the scheme using whole genome sequencing data, re-analyzed global population structure, and set genetic distance thresholds for cluster detection and taxonomic identification. The scheme can help unravel the global spread of certain clonal complexes and transmission routes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fabian Schnitker, Yongjie Liu, Simone Keitsch, Matthias Soddemann, Hedda Luise Verhasselt, Jan Kehrmann, Heike Grassme, Markus Kamler, Erich Gulbins, Yuqing Wu
Summary: This study suggests that the deficiency of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) leads to reduced sphingosine levels, making cystic fibrosis (CF) patients more susceptible to Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) infection. The researchers also found that increasing sphingosine levels can protect CF cells and CF mice lungs against M. abscessus infection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Stephen Adonai Leon-Icaza, Salimata Bagayoko, Romain Verge, Nino Iakobachvili, Chloe Ferrand, Talip Aydogan, Celia Bernard, Angelique Sanchez Dafun, Marlene Murris-Espin, Julien Mazieres, Pierre Jean Bordignon, Serge Mazeres, Pascale Bernes-Lasserre, Victoria Rame, Jean-Michel Lagarde, Julien Marcoux, Marie-Pierre Bousquet, Christian Chalut, Christophe Guilhot, Hans Clevers, Peter J. Peters, Virginie Molle, Geanncarlo Lugo-Villarino, Kaymeuang Cam, Laurence Berry, Etienne Meunier, Celine Cougoule
Summary: Although Mabs infection can induce oxidative stress, pharmacological activation of antioxidant pathways can better control Mabs growth and reduce its virulence. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of CFTR is associated with improved Mabs growth and increased virulence. Pharmacological activation of antioxidant pathways can inhibit Mabs growth and improve efficacy when combined with cefoxitin.
Article
Microbiology
Ayantu W. Idosa, Daniel J. Wozniak, Luanne Hall-Stoodley
Summary: This study investigated the interaction between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium abscessus and found an antagonistic interaction favoring P. aeruginosa in biofilms. This antagonism was observed in multiple P. aeruginosa strains and against Mycobacterium smegmatis. The study suggests that known mechanisms of interbacterial competition are not responsible for the antagonistic effect of P. aeruginosa toward M. abscessus, and a novel antibacterial strategy may be involved.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Astrid Lewin, Elisabeth Kamal, Torsten Semmler, Katja Winter, Sandra Kaiser, Hubert Schafer, Lei Mao, Patience Eschenhagen, Claudia Grehn, Jennifer Bender, Carsten Schwarz
Summary: The study on Mycobacterium abscessus infections in Cystic Fibrosis patients revealed an accumulation of gene mutations during chronic lung infection, emphasizing the need for increased attention to genetic diversity during new control strategies against these infections. The strategy of M. abscessus populations in chronic lung infection involves maintaining a wide range of genetic variants for adaptation to changing living conditions in the lung, rather than clonal expansion of dominant variants.
Article
Respiratory System
Rebecca M. Davidson, Nabeeh A. Hasan, L. Elaine Epperson, Jeanne B. Benoit, Sara M. Kammlade, Adrah R. Levin, Vinicius Calado de Moura, Joshua Hunkins, Natalia Weakly, Sean Beagle, Scott D. Sagel, Stacey L. Martiniano, Max Salfinger, Charles L. Daley, Jerry A. Nick, Michael Strong
Summary: The study identified dominant circulating clones of two subspecies of Mycobacterium abscessus in U.S. cystic fibrosis patients, with evidence of shared strains between patients in CF Care Centers. The presence of these dominant clones suggests the potential for transmission events within healthcare settings and the environment.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Uday S. Ganapathy, Martin Gengenbacher, Thomas Dick
Summary: Benzoxaboroles, including the clinical candidate epetraborole, have shown activity against Mycobacterium abscessus, expanding the options for developing benzoxaborole-based candidates to treat M. abscessus lung disease.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Alan A. Schmalstig, Andrew Wiggins, Debbie Badillo, Katherine S. Wetzel, Graham F. Hatfull, Miriam Braunstein
Summary: Researchers have found that bacteriophages can enter mammalian cells and infect and kill intracellular M. abscessus. This discovery highlights the potential of phage therapy for treating intracellular bacterial infections, specifically M. abscessus.
Article
Microbiology
Farah Shamma, Kadamba Papavinasasundaram, Samantha Y. Quintanilla, Aditya Bandekar, Christopher Sassetti, Cara C. Boutte
Summary: The study reveals the regulatory function of the key gene PstP in controlling cell wall metabolism under stress, shedding light on bacterial survival and antibiotic tolerance.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Katie N. Kang, Misha I. Kazi, Jacob Biboy, Joe Gray, Hannah Bovermann, Jessie Ausman, Cara C. Boutte, Waldemar Vollmer, Joseph M. Boll
Summary: The absence of PBP1A results in septation defects and cell chaining in Acinetobacter baumannii, supporting the isolation of colistin-resistant LOS- strains. Only isolates producing multiple septa are able to develop resistance. Defects in PBP1A glycosyltransferase activity and LD-transpeptidase activity play a role in remodeling the cell envelope to support colistin-resistant LOS- A. baumannii.
Article
Biology
Madhab Sapkota, Mohammed Adnan Qureshi, Siraje Arif Mahmud, Yves Balikosa, Charlton Nguyen, Joseph M. Boll, Mark W. Pellegrino
Summary: The healthcare field faces a dramatic rise in infections with antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, prompting an urgent need for the development of new antimicrobial agents. Mitochondria play a central role in cellular functions and innate immunity pathways, while the mitochondrial unfolded protein response helps counteract bacterial infections. Antimicrobial peptide CNC-4, regulated during the UPRmt stress response, exhibits potent antimicrobial activity against a range of bacterial species.
Article
Microbiology
Augusto Cesar Hunt-Serracin, Misha Kazi, Joseph M. Boll, Cara C. Boutte
Summary: The stringent factor Rel in Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab), a nontuberculous mycobacterial pathogen, does not play a significant role in (p)ppGpp synthesis and does not provide survival advantages in stress conditions or antibiotic treatment. However, it is involved in regulating expression of anabolism and growth genes in the stationary phase. This study suggests the presence of an unannotated (p)ppGpp synthetase in Mab.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Andrew N. Murtha, Misha Kazi, Richard D. Schargel, Trevor Cross, Conrad Fihn, Vincent Cattoir, Erin E. Carlson, Joseph M. Boll, Tobias Dorr
Summary: Antibiotic tolerance is an important factor contributing to treatment failure and the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. This study uncovers a novel role of the PhoPQ two-component system in promoting antibiotic tolerance in Enterobacterales. The findings highlight the potential of targeting this mechanism to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics against tolerant bacteria.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Cara C. Boutte
Summary: The paper investigates the localization and function of cell wall enzymes in Mycobacterium smegmatis and their response to stress, revealing a new model for how peptidoglycan synthesis may be organized in pole-growing bacteria.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Nowrosh Islam, Misha Kazi, Katie N. Kang, Jacob Biboy, Joe Gray, Feroz Ahmed, Richard D. Schargel, Cara C. Boutte, Tobias Dorr, Waldemar Vollmer, Joseph M. Boll
Summary: Beta-lactam antibiotics disrupt the peptidoglycan layer of bacteria, leading to lysis and death. Many Gram-negative bacteria show tolerance to bactericidal antibiotics, which is associated with treatment failure and the development of true resistance. This study investigates the tolerance mechanisms of Acinetobacter baumannii, a multidrug-resistant pathogen. The findings suggest that outer membrane integrity and peptidoglycan recycling play significant roles in meropenem tolerance in A. baumannii.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Farah Shamma, E. Hesper Rego, Cara C. Boutte
Summary: This study discovers novel substrates of PstP in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and provides evidence that the phosphorylation status of PstP negatively regulates its catalytic activity. The study also shows that the localization of PstP restricts its access to certain substrates involved in cell wall metabolism regulation.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Katie N. Kang, Joseph M. Boll
Summary: This study reveals a direct interaction between PBP1A and the divisome component PBP3 in Acinetobacter baumannii, highlighting the unique role of this enzyme in the division of this highly drug-resistant nosocomial pathogen.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Angela H. Freeman, Karen Tembiwa, James R. Brenner, Michael R. Chase, Sarah M. Fortune, Yasu S. Morita, Cara C. Boutte
Summary: The study reveals that SepIVA, an essential division factor in Mycobacterium smegmatis, is arginine methylated and its methylation sites affect both septation and polar elongation. SepIVA also regulates the localization of MurG, which may impact polar elongation. This study characterizes protein arginine methylation sites for the first time in mycobacteria, establishing SepIVA as a regulator of both elongation and division.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samantha C. Quintanilla, Neda Habibi Arejan, Parthvi Patel, Cara Boutte
Summary: This study identifies a new polar factor, PlrA, that is responsible for restricting peptidoglycan metabolism at the cell poles in Mycobacterium smegmatis. It is found that only the N-terminal membrane domain of PlrA is necessary for its function. Furthermore, PlrA is shown to regulate the polar foci of the polar growth factor, Wag31.
Article
Microbiology
Neda Habibi Arejan, Delfina Ensinck, Lautaro Diacovich, Parthvi Bharatkumar Patel, Samantha Y. Quintanilla, Arash Emami Saleh, Hugo Gramajo, Cara C. Boutte
Summary: This study identified the Wag31 residues involved in cell morphogenesis using alanine scanning mutagenesis. The results showed that Wag31 plays an important role in cell division and polar elongation, and it interacts with lipid metabolism by modulating ACCase activity. The study provides new insights into the regulatory functions of Wag31 in the cell cycle and highlights the need for new molecular models of Wag31 function.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)