Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Meril Massot, Pierre Chatre, Benedicte Condamine, Veronique Metayer, Olivier Clermont, Jean-Yves Madec, Erick Denamur, Marisa Haenni
Summary: The study revealed a high prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli in veal calves, with calves being successively colonized by different clones leading to a decreasing carriage trend. The persistence of a clone in a farm was significantly associated with the number of colonized calves. Despite high diversity, few dominant bla(CTX-M) gene/plasmid/chromosomal backgrounds were identified, with the spread scenario depending on the farm. Interactions between resistance genes, plasmids, and bacterial clones contribute to fitness optimization in specific environments.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Gaelle Gruel, David Couvin, Stephanie Guyomard-Rabenirina, Guillaume Arlet, Jean-Christophe Bambou, Matthieu Pot, Xavier Roy, Antoine Talarmin, Benoit Tressieres, Severine Ferdinand, Sebastien Breurec
Summary: This study determines the prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) in feces of household and shelter pets in Guadeloupe. The study finds that the only risk factor associated with a higher prevalence of ESBL-E rectal carriage is a stay in a shelter. The study also identifies ESBL-E as mainly Escherichia coli, with certain plasmids carrying antimicrobial resistance genes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Julio Cesar Lopez-Romero, Jimena Garcia-Davila, Etna Aida Pena-Ramos, Humberto Gonzalez-Rios, Martin Valenzuela-Melendres, Marangeli Osoria, Vijay K. Juneja
Summary: The present study aimed to analyze the combined effect of heat treatment and citral on the heat resistance of Escherichia coli O104:H4 in ground beef. The results showed that both heat treatment and citral promoted the thermal inactivation of E. coli O104:H4, suggesting a synergistic effect. The addition of citral at different concentrations resulted in a significant decrease in D-values at various temperatures. These findings are important in designing a safe thermal process for inactivating E. coli O104:H4 in ground beef.
JOURNAL OF FOOD PROTECTION
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Adrian Alvarez-Molina, Elena Trigal, Miguel Prieto, Mercedes Lopez, Avelino Alvarez-Ordonez
Summary: Plasmids containing antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) are important for the horizontal transfer of resistance between bacteria. This study developed a conjugation procedure to monitor the transfer of a specific plasmid in different food chain-related scenarios. The results showed that temperature, pH, and the presence of certain biocidal agents can affect the conjugation rate. This procedure can be used to identify risk scenarios and develop strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance.
CURRENT RESEARCH IN FOOD SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Christa Ewers, Anno de Jong, Ellen Prenger-Berninghoff, Farid El Garch, Ursula Leidner, Sumeet K. Tiwari, Torsten Semmler
Summary: Livestock animals may serve as a significant source of ESBL/pAmpC E. coli contamination for humans. Analysis of Escherichia spp. isolates from healthy livestock fecal samples revealed a variety of ESBL/pAmpC types, with the majority of genes located on plasmids, indicating the potential dissemination of cephalosporin resistance genes through globally successful plasmid lineages in livestock.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Robert A. Moran, Baomo Liu, Emma L. Doughty, Yingyi Guo, Xiaoliang Ba, Willem van Schaik, Chao Zhuo, Alan McNally
Summary: ESBL resistance has a significant impact on the clinical management of E. coli infections in hospitals worldwide. This study aimed to understand the structures and dynamics of ESBL-EC populations in a Guangzhou ICU. The results revealed distinct populations of ESBL-EC strains in patients, staff, and clinical environments, with bla(CTX-M) genes playing a major role in conferring ESBL resistance.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Christian M. Gill, Kamilia Abdelraouf, David P. Nicolau
Summary: WCK 4282 demonstrated clinical exposure efficacies against various Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in animal experiments. It showed potential activity against cefepime-resistant strains, particularly those producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and cephalosporinase.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Philipp Schiller, Michael Knoedler, Petya Berger, Lilo Greune, Angelika Fruth, Alexander Mellmann, Petra Dersch, Michael Berger, Ulrich Dobrindt
Summary: The study found differences in adherence properties and pathogenicity between the EHEC outbreak strain O104:H4 and its close relative due to expression of different types of aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF). Various types of AAF affect bacterial autoaggregation, biofilm formation, and host cell adherence.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Antonio Mandujano, Diana Veronica Cortes-Espinosa, Jose Vasquez-Villanueva, Paulina Guel, Gildardo Rivera, Karina Juarez-Rendon, Wendy Lizeth Cruz-Pulido, Guadalupe Aguilera-Arreola, Abraham Guerrero, Virgilio Bocanegra-Garcia, Ana Veronica Martinez-Vazquez
Summary: This study investigated the antimicrobial resistance profile of ESBL-producing E. coli among food-producing animals in Tamaulipas, Mexico. A total of 200 fecal samples were collected and 5.0% of the strains were confirmed as ESBL producers. High percentage of antimicrobial resistance was observed against gentamicin, tetracycline, and streptomycin. The study suggests that food-producing animals may serve as reservoirs and contribute to the spread of ESBL-producing bacteria.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Samanta Freire, Teresa Grilo, Laurent Poirel, Marta Aires-de-Sousa
Summary: This study investigated the potential role of urban pigeons in the dissemination of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The results showed that these pigeons can carry ESBL-producing Escherichia coli strains, which may contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the environment.
Article
Microbiology
Sien De Koster, Moniek Ringenier, Basil Britto Xavier, Christine Lammens, Dieter De Coninck, Katrien De Bruyne, Klaas Mensaert, Marjolein Kluytmans-van den Bergh, Jan Kluytmans, Jeroen Dewulf, Herman Goossens
Summary: This study characterized and traced ESBL-producing and ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli in Belgian food-producing animals. Multiple sequence types, resistance genes, and virulence profiles were detected. Transmission pathways within and between farms were identified, highlighting the importance of plasmid transmission in the spread of resistance.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Gizem Levent, Ashlynn Schlochtermeier, Javier Vinasco, Jenny Jennings, John Richeson, Samuel E. Ives, Keri N. Norman, Sara D. Lawhon, Guy H. Loneragan, H. Morgan Scott
Summary: Extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae pose serious health risks. A controlled feedlot trial on cattle revealed that the use of certain antibiotics resulted in the emergence of drug-resistant E. coli, with a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant ESBL/AmpC E. coli in cattle feces.
Article
Ecology
Ayush Pathak, Daniel C. Angst, Ricardo Leon-Sampedro, Alex R. Hall
Summary: Some bacterial resistance mechanisms can degrade antibiotics, potentially protecting neighboring susceptible cells. However, the effects of such mechanisms on bacterial communities of more than two species are not well understood. By conducting experiments on multispecies communities, we found that resistance in one species reduced antibiotic inhibition of other species, but the extent of benefit varied among species.
Article
Microbiology
Christina Lang, Angelika Fruth, Ian W. Campbell, Claire Jenkins, Peyton Smith, Nancy Strockbine, Francois-Xavier Weill, Ulrich Nuebel, Yonatan H. Grad, Matthew K. Waldor, Antje Flieger
Summary: STEC O104:H4 outbreak strain remains a global threat due to similar strains causing disease worldwide, but the diversification of O-antigens in ST678 strains has made their identification difficult. A rare STEC serotype, O181:H4, associated with HUS, was identified in Germany, and this strain is phylogenetically related to the STEC O104:H4 outbreak strain. Other serotypes belonging to ST678 were also identified from human clinical infections worldwide, including OX13:H4, O127:H4, OgN-RKI9:H4, O131:H4, and O69:H4.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Oleksii Zdorevskyi, Amina Djurabekova, Jonathan Lasham, Vivek Sharma
Summary: Respiratory complex I is an redox-driven proton pump that contributes to mitochondrial ATP generation. The recent cryo-EM structural data revealed the positions of water molecules in the membrane domain of the complex, but the flow of protons in the membrane-bound subunits is still unclear. Computer simulations on high-resolution structural data show that protons can travel through the antiporter-like subunits, including at the subunit-subunit interface parallel to the membrane. Our simulations also demonstrate the role of conserved tyrosine residues and electrostatic effects in facilitating proton transfer. These results challenge prevailing proton pumping models of respiratory complex I.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Ipek Altinoglu, Guillaume Abriat, Alexis Carreaux, Lucia Torres-Sanchez, Mickael Poidevin, Petya Violinova Krasteva, Yoshiharu Yamaichi
Summary: This study used a comparative proteomics approach to identify novel HubP partners in the opportunistic cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae. The results revealed a more versatile role for HubP in cell polarization and identified new mechanisms of motility regulation. The findings provide new insights into the coevolution and functional interdependence of chemotactic signaling, bacterial motility, and biofilm formation.
Article
Immunology
Hannah P. Gideon, Travis K. Hughes, Constantine N. Tzouanas, Marc H. Wadsworth, Ang Andy Tu, Todd M. Gierahn, Joshua M. Peters, Forrest F. Hopkins, Jun-Rong Wei, Conner Kummerlowe, Kievershen Nargan, Jia Yao Phuah, H. Jacob Borish, Pauline Maiello, Alexander G. White, Caylin G. Winchell, Sarah K. Nyquist, Sharie Keanne C. Ganchua, Amy Myers, Kush V. Patel, Cassaundra L. Ameel, Catherine T. Cochran, Samira Ibrahim, Jaime A. Tomko, Lonnie James Frye, Jacob M. Rosenberg, Angela Shih, Michael Chao, Edwin Klein, Charles A. Scanga, Jose Ordovas-Montanes, Bonnie Berger, Joshua T. Mattila, Rajhmun Madansein, J. Christopher Love, Philana Ling Lin, Alasdair Leslie, Samuel M. Behar, Bryan Bryson, JoAnne L. Flynn, Sarah M. Fortune, Alex K. Shalek
Summary: This study focuses on tuberculosis lung infection and its complex multicellular structure, the granuloma. Through various techniques, the study identifies factors that influence bacterial control in granulomas. It shows that granulomas with bacterial persistence are enriched with different cell types that communicate through immune and wound-healing pathways. On the other hand, granulomas that drive bacterial control are characterized by diverse cell populations engaged in pro-inflammatory signaling networks. The study also finds that granulomas that arise later in infection display characteristics of restrictive granulomas and are more effective at killing Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Article
Microbiology
Bolutife Fakoya, Karthik Hullahalli, Daniel H. F. Rubin, Deborah R. Leitner, Roma Chilengi, David A. Sack, Matthew K. Waldor
Summary: This study created next-generation cholera challenge strains and demonstrated their accuracy and safety in measuring immunity and vaccine effectiveness.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Christophe Possoz, Yoshiharu Yamaichi, Elisa Galli, Jean-Luc Ferat, Francois-Xavier Barre
Summary: Partition systems are widely observed in bacterial chromosomes and involve the interaction of ParA and ParB effectors with cis acting sites parS. This study reveals that ParABS1 can actively maintain the positioning of chromosome replication origin (oriC1) at the mid-cell even in the absence of the polar anchoring element HubP. Moreover, ectopic insertion of parS1 sites in chromosome 2 (ch2) can stabilize the inheritance of this replicon in the absence of its native partition system. These findings raise questions about the role of polar anchoring of oriC1 in the cell cycle.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Satoshi Kimura, Veerasak Srisuknimit, Kacie McCarty, Peter C. Dedon, Philip J. Kranzusch, Matthew K. Waldor
Summary: This study characterizes the C-to-psi conversion RNA editing process and its regulation, highlighting the role of the TrcP enzyme and modification network in optimizing translation efficiency.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brandon Sit, Veerasak Srisuknimit, Emilio Bueno, Franz G. Zingl, Karthik Hullahalli, Felipe Cava, Matthew K. Waldor
Summary: The microbial cell wall, primarily composed of peptidoglycan, plays a crucial role in maintaining cell shape and resistance to external stressors. The biosynthesis and structure of peptidoglycan are responsive to environmental changes, however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, DUF368 and DedA protein families were identified as candidate C55-P translocases, filling a critical gap in the knowledge of proteins involved in the biogenesis of microbial cell surface polymers. The activity of C55-P transporter was found to be essential for the growth and maintenance of cell shape in pathogenic bacteria, such as cholera.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qingyun Liu, Junhao Zhu, Charles L. Dulberger, Sydney Stanley, Sean Wilson, Eun Seon Chung, Xin Wang, Peter Culviner, Yue J. Liu, Nathan D. Hicks, Gregory H. Babunovic, Samantha R. Giffen, Bree B. Aldridge, Ethan C. Garner, Eric J. Rubin, Michael C. Chao, Sarah M. Fortune
Summary: The widespread use of antibiotics has put Mycobacterium tuberculosis under pressure to evolve new survival mechanisms. A genomic analysis of clinical isolates has discovered the resR transcriptional regulator and other related factors that are frequently targeted by positive selection. Mutations in these genes are associated with antibiotic resilience and the acquisition of drug resistance.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ian W. Campbell, Karthik Hullahalli, Jerrold R. Turner, Matthew K. Waldor
Summary: In this study, the authors investigated the effect of pathogen dose on the initiation of infection in the mouse gut using Citrobacter rodentium as a model. They found that host bottlenecks prevent infections by eliminating invading pathogens, and the size of the pathogen's founding population in female mice is controlled by a severe bottleneck. The disruption of the microbiota was found to be the dominant bottleneck, while the loss of the critical virulence island led to a contraction in the diversity of the pathogen population.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Agathe Couturier, Chloe Virolle, Kelly Goldlust, Annick Berne-Dedieu, Audrey Reuter, Sophie Nolivos, Yoshiharu Yamaichi, Sarah Bigot, Christian Lesterlin
Summary: Conjugation is a contact-dependent mechanism for the transfer of plasmid DNA between bacterial cells. Live-cell microscopy was used to visualize the intracellular dynamics of conjugation, revealing a molecular strategy for the sequential production of factors involved in establishing, maintaining, and disseminating the plasmid.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Daniel H. F. Rubin, Kevin C. Ma, Kathleen A. Westervelt, Karthik Hullahalli, Matthew K. Waldor, Yonatan H. Grad
Summary: The evolution of Neisseria gonorrhoeae as a human pathogen is influenced by diverse host environments and antibiotics. Variations in antibiotic resistance across N. gonorrhoeae lineages indicate that metabolic differences may affect the acquisition of specific resistances. A study found that the requirement for supplemental CO2 in some isolates is due to a single substitution in a beta-carbonic anhydrase, CanB. This metabolic variation also influences fluoroquinolone resistance in N. gonorrhoeae by increasing the likelihood of acquisition.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Minjia Shen, Kelly Goldlust, Sandra Daniel, Christian Lesterlin, Yoshiharu Yamaichi
Summary: Dissemination of antibiotic resistance is driven by bacterial conjugation, which involves the transfer of single-stranded DNA from the donor to the recipient cell. Host-encoded factors, such as the uvrD gene, can affect the frequency of conjugative plasmid transfer. Our study found that disruption of the recipient uvrD gene decreased the acquisition frequency of conjugative plasmids, and that ATPase activity of UvrD is required for successful plasmid establishment in recipient cells.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fei Pan, Mingli Zhu, Ying Liang, Chen Yuan, Yu Zhang, Yuchang Wang, Hongjie Fan, Matthew K. Waldor, Zhe Ma
Summary: M family proteins are important virulence determinants of Streptococci, and SzM, an M protein of SEZ, is linked to SEZ brain invasion. This study demonstrates that SzM plays a crucial role in SEZ disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). SEZ releases SzM-bound membrane vesicles (MVs), which are taken up by human brain endothelial microvascular cells (hBMECs) and result in SzM-dependent cytotoxicity. Furthermore, administration of SzM-bound MVs disrupts the murine BBB.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Christina Lang, Angelika Fruth, Ian W. Campbell, Claire Jenkins, Peyton Smith, Nancy Strockbine, Francois-Xavier Weill, Ulrich Nuebel, Yonatan H. Grad, Matthew K. Waldor, Antje Flieger
Summary: STEC O104:H4 outbreak strain remains a global threat due to similar strains causing disease worldwide, but the diversification of O-antigens in ST678 strains has made their identification difficult. A rare STEC serotype, O181:H4, associated with HUS, was identified in Germany, and this strain is phylogenetically related to the STEC O104:H4 outbreak strain. Other serotypes belonging to ST678 were also identified from human clinical infections worldwide, including OX13:H4, O127:H4, OgN-RKI9:H4, O131:H4, and O69:H4.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Caylin G. Winchell, Sarah K. Nyquist, Michael C. Chao, Pauline Maiello, Amy J. Myers, Forrest Hopkins, Michael Chase, Hannah P. Gideon, Kush V. Patel, Joshua D. Bromley, Andrew W. Simonson, Roisin Floyd-O'Sullivan, Marc Wadsworth, Jacob M. Rosenberg, Rockib Uddin, Travis Hughes, Ryan J. Kelly, Josephine Griffo, Jaime Tomko, Edwin Klein, Bonnie Berger, Charles A. Scanga, Joshua Mattila, Sarah M. Fortune, Alex K. Shalek, Philana Ling Lin, JoAnne L. Flynn
Summary: The functional role of CD8(+) lymphocytes in tuberculosis is not well understood. Depleting innate and/or adaptive CD8(+) lymphocytes in macaques revealed that the loss of all CD8 alpha+ cells significantly impaired early control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, leading to increased granulomas, lung inflammation, and bacterial burden. Depletion of all CD8(+) lymphocytes allowed increased establishment of Mtb in the lungs and dissemination within lungs and lymph nodes, while depletion of only adaptive CD8(+) T cells worsened bacterial control in lymph nodes. The study highlights the essential role of CD8(+) lymphocytes in early protection against Mtb and suggests polyfunctional cytotoxic responses as a potential vaccine target.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brandon Sit, Veerasak Srisuknimit, Emilio Bueno, Franz G. Zingl, Karthik Hullahalli, Felipe Cava, Matthew K. Waldor
Summary: The microbial cell wall is important for maintaining cell shape and resistance to external stressors. Peptidoglycan is the primary structural component of the cell wall and its synthesis and structure are responsive to environmental conditions. The DUF368 and DedA protein families have been identified as candidate C55-P translocases, playing a critical role in the biogenesis of microbial cell surface polymers.