Project description:Here, we investigated for the first time the systems-wide response of B. subtilis to different simultaneous stresses, i.e. nutrient limitation and high osmolarity. To address the anticipated complexity of the cellular response networks, we combined chemostat experiments under conditions of carbon limitation, salt stress and osmoprotection with multi-omics analyses at the transcriptome, proteome, metabolome and fluxome levels. Our results indicate that the flux through central carbon and energy metabolism is very robust under all conditions studied. The key to achieve this robustness is the adjustment of the biocatalytic machinery to compensate for solvent-induced impairment of enzymatic activities during osmotic stress. The accumulation of the exogenously provided osmoprotectant glycine betaine helps the cell to rescue enzyme activities in the presence of high salt. A major effort of the cell during osmotic stress is the production of the compatible solute proline. This is achieved by the concerted adjustment of multiple reactions around the 2-oxoglutarate node, which drives metabolism towards the proline precursor glutamate. The fine-tuning of the transcriptional and metabolic networks involves functional modules that overarch the individual pathways. We applied transcriptomic, mass spectrometry-based protein, metabolite and 13C-metabolic flux analysis techniques to B. subtilis cells grown under well-controlled conditions in a glucose-limited chemostat at a growth rate of 0.1 h-1 under i) reference conditions, ii) in the presence of 1.2 M NaCl, and iii) in the presence of 1.2 M NaCl and 1 mM GB. Microarray hybridizations were performed with RNA from three biological replicates. The individual samples were labeled with Cy5; a reference pool containing equal amounts of RNA from all 9 samples was labeled with Cy3.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of two human lung cancer cell lines, DMS-273 (small cell lung cancer) and NCI-H1437 (non-small cell lung cancer), stably transfected either with innocuous scrambled shRNAs or SETDB1-specific.The objective was to identify global gene expression changes due to the depletion of the H3K9me3 methyltransferase SETDB1. 3 replicates for DMS-273 and 1 Control; 2 replicates for NCI-H1437 and 1 Control
Project description:Understanding how pathogens respond to antimicrobial peptides, and how this compares to currently available antibiotics, is crucial to optimizing antibiotic therapy. Staphylococcus aureus has several known resistance mechanisms against human cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). We aim to determine how S. aureus responds to sheep and frog CAMPs, and whether this response is associated with resistance. Gene expression changes in Staphylococcus aureus Newman cells exposed to linear CAMPs were analyzed by DNA microarray. Three antimicrobial peptides were used in the analysis, two of them are derived from frog, temporin L and dermaseptin K4-S4(1-16), one is from sheep, ovispirin-1. The peptides induced the VraSR cell-wall regulon and several other genes which are also upregulated in cells treated with vancomycin and other cell wall-active antibiotics. In addition to this similarity, three genes/operons were particularly strongly induced by the peptides: vraDE, SA0205 and SAS016, encoding an ABC transporter, a putative membrane-bound lysostaphin-like peptidase and a small functionally unknown protein, respectively. Ovispirin-1 and dermaseptin K4-S4(1-16), which disrupt lipid bilayers by the carpet mechanism, were strong inducers of the vraDE operon. We show that high level induction by ovispirin-1 was dependent on the amide modification of the peptide C-terminus. This suggests that the amide group has a crucial role in the activation of the Aps sensory system, the regulator of vraDE. In contrast, temporin L, which disrupts lipid bilayers by forming pores, was clearly a weaker inducer of vraDE despite the C-terminal amide modification. Sensitivity testing with CAMPs and other antimicrobials suggested that VraDE is a transporter dedicated to resist bacitracin. We also showed that SA0205 belongs to the VraSR regulon. Furthermore, VraSR was shown to be important for resistance against a wide range of cell wall-active antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents including the amide-modified ovispirin-1, bacitracin, teicoplanin, cefotaxime and 10 other β-lactam antibiotics, chlorpromazine, thioridazine and EGTA. The effects of the three different antimicrobial peptides on gene expression of S. aureus Newman were studied by using whole genome oligo-DNA microarrays. Bacteria were grown in BHI medium to the early exponential phase (OD600=0.6) and antimicrobial peptides were added at sublethal concentrations. Samples were taken for RNA isolations after treating the cultures with the peptides for 10 minutes. Control cultures without peptide additions were treated similarly and in parallel.
Project description:Contains gene expression profiles of yeast single and double deletion mutants of gene-specific transcription factors. Genetic interactions were studied by comparing gene expression changes of double mutants with gene expression changes in the respective single mutants. Pairs of gene-specific transcription factors were chosen based on previous evidence for epistasis, including synthetic genetic interactions as well as common DNA binding. Two channel microarrays were used. RNA isolated from a large amount of wt yeast from a single culture was used as a common reference. This common reference was used in one of the channels for each hybridization and used in the statistical analysis to obtain an average expression-profile for each deletion mutant relative to the wt. Two independent cultures were hybridized on two separate microarrays. For the first hybridization the Cy5 (red) labeled cRNA from the deletion mutant is hybridized together with the Cy3 (green) labeled cRNA from the common reference. For the replicate hybridization, the labels are swapped. Each gene is represented twice on the microarray, resulting in four measurements per mutant. Using the Erlenmeyer growth protocol up to five deletion strains were grown on a single day. In the tecan platereader, up to eleven deletion strains could be grown on a single day. Wt cultures were grown parallel to the deletion mutants to assess day-to-day variance.
Project description:Background: S. aureus is one of the main pathogen involved in ruminant mastitis worldwide. The severity of staphylococcal infection is highly variable and ranges from subclinical to gangrenous mastitis. Such variability implies host as well as staphylococcal factors. This work is an in-depth characterization of S. aureus mastitis isolates to identify factors involved in mastitis severity. Methods and findings: We combined three “omic” approaches to comprehensively compare two clonally related S. aureus strains that were isolated from and shown to reproducibly induce severe (strain O11) and milder (strain O46) mastitis in ewes. The genomes of O11 and O46 were sequenced (Illumina technology) to determine their respective gene content and comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were carried out on both strains grown in conditions mimicking mastitis context. High differences were highlighted in mobile genetic elements, iron acquisition and metabolism, transcriptional regulation and exoprotein production. In particular, O11 overproduced exoproteins, including toxins and proteases when compared to O46. This was confirmed in 4 other S. aureus strains isolated from subclinical or clinical mastitis cases. Dose-dependant production of some staphylococcal factors seem to play a role in hypervirulence of strains isolated from severe mastitis. Mobile genetic elements, transcriptional regulators, exoproteins or strain ability to deal with iron starvation constitute good targets for further research to better define the underlying mechanisms of mastitis severity. Conclusions: Differences observed in mastitis severity likely result from the ability of the strains to adapt and to express virulence factors in the mastitis context rather than from deep variations in gene content. Expression of S. aureus O46 from subclinical mastitis and O11 from a lethal gangrenous mastitis were compared at two different times
Project description:Sensing of microbial products by innate immune cells skew their transcriptional program to optimize anti-microbial defences. Chromatin remodeling by histone deacetylases (HDACs) plays a fundamental role in tailoring gene expression. HDAC inhibitors are among the most promising anti-cancer drugs and possess intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties. Yet, the influence of HDAC inhibition on innate immune responses to microbial infection is unknown. Here we show that HDAC inhibitors repress the expression of less than 10% of the genes expressed at baseline in BM-derived macrophages. In sharp contrast, HDAC inhibitors strongly interfere with transcriptome remodeling induced by LPS and Pam3CSK4, affecting the expression of 30-70% of genes modulated by microbial stimuli. Strikingly, HDAC inhibitors target the expression of numerous genes involved in anti-microbial host defences, encoding for microbial sensors, cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and their receptors, adhesion and signaling molecules, and molecules involved in antigen processing and presentation. At the molecular level, HDAC inhibitors do not impair mitogen-activated protein kinase, NF-kB, interferon-related factor signal and STAT1 transduction pathways, but inhibit NF-kB p65 recruitment to the promoter region of HDAC inhibitor-sensitive genes. HDAC inhibitors also inhibit the response of mouse and human DCs, splenocytes and whole blood to a broad range of microbial products and microorganisms. In agreement with these in vitro findings, HDAC inhibitors increase bacterial burden and sensitize mice to sub-lethal infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans. Conversely, HDAC inhibitors confer protection in models of Pam3CSK4-induced fulminant toxic shock and severe sepsis following cecal ligation and puncture. Overall, these data substantiate the concept of immunomodulation by HDAC inhibitors, and suggest that these drugs could represent efficacious adjunctive therapy of severe sepsis. Mus musculus cells were grown in presence of LPS or LPS + TSA and pam or pam + TSA and hybrydised against a cRNA pool UMRR (from Mus musculus cells).
Project description:In this study we mutated the ecsAB operon in two different Staphylococcus aureus strains, Newman and LS-1, and performed a wide characterization of phenotypic effects of the mutations. A growth defect, increased autolysis and lysostaphin sensitivity, decreased levels of cell wall proteins and altered cell surface texture indicate that Ecs deficiency causes significant changes in the cell wall. The precursor form of staphylokinase was released into the wall in an Ecs-dependent manner. Pathogenicity of the ecs mutants was studied with a mouse arthritis model. Mice inoculated with ecs mutants developed markedly milder infections than when inoculated with the wild-type strains, as was illustrated by a lower mortality, less weight loss, decreased persistence of staphylococci in the kidneys and a milder arthritis. DNA microarray analysis revealed that inactivation of Ecs in S. aureus Newman caused either up-regulation or down-regulation of genes encoding various membrane transport proteins, particularly ABC transporters and phosphate-specific transport (PST) systems. Differentially expressed were also several genes encoding proteins involved in virulence, including the virulence factor regulator protein Rot, protein A, adhesins and capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis proteins. Furthermore, the susceptibility of ecs mutant to ribosomal antibiotics as well as the chelerythrine and sanguinarine plant alkaloids was increased. WT and ecsA mutant strains were hybridized at 3 and 6 hours of growth in rich medium (4-replicates)
Project description:Screening of various bisquaternary bisnaphthalimides against a variety of human pathogens revealed one compound, designated MT02, with strong inhibitory effects against gram-positive bacteria. The minimal inhibitory concentrations ranged from 0.31 µg/ml against community-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain USA300 to 20 µg/ml against Streptococcus pneumonia. DNA-microarray studies generated a transcriptional signature characterized by a strong increase of genes involved in DNA-metabolism, DNA-replication, SOS-response and transport of positively charged compounds. Radioactive whole cell labeling experiments indicated a strong impact of MT02 on bacterial DNA-replication. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance and gel retardation experiments demonstrated direct binding of MT02 to DNA in a concentration dependent, reversible and sequence-unspecific manner. The data presented suggest that the bisquaternary bisnaphthalimide MT02 exerts anti-gram-positive activity by binding to DNA and thereby prohibiting appropriate DNA-replication. WT strain exposed to MT02 for 60 minutes in rich medium
Project description:Objectives: Development of daptomycin resistance (DAPR) in Staphylococcus aureus is associated with clinical treatment failures. Mechanism(s) of such resistance has not been clearly defined. Methods: We studied an isogenic daptomycin-susceptible (DAPS) and daptomycin-resistant (DAPR) S. aureus strain pair (616; 701) from a patient with relapsing endocarditis during daptomycin treatment, using comparative transcriptomic and proteomic techniques. Results. Minor differences in genome content were found between strains by DNA hybridization. Transcriptomic analyses identified a number of genes differentially expressed in important functional categories: cell division, metabolism of bacterial envelopes and global regulation. Of note, the DAPR isolate exhibited reduced expression of the major cell wall autolysis gene coincident with upregulation of genes involved in wall teichoic acid production. Using quantitative (q)RT-PCR on gene cadre putatively involved in cationic peptide resistance, we formulated a putative regulatory network compatible with microarray data-sets, mainly implicating bacterial envelopes. Of interest, qRT-PCR of this same gene cadre from two distinct isogenic DAPS/DAPR clinical strain pairs revealed evidence of other strain dependent networks operative in the DAPR phenotype. Comparative proteomics of 616 vs 701 revealed differential abundance of proteins in various functional categories including: cell-wall associated targets and biofilm-formation proteins. Phenotypically, strains 616 and 701 showed major differences in ability to develop bacterial biofilms in presence of the antibacterial lipid, oleic acid. Conclusions: Compatible with previous in vitro observations, in vivo acquired DAPR in S. aureus is a complex, multistep phenomenon allowing for: i) strain dependent phenotypes; ii) transcriptome adaptation; and iii) modification of lipid and protein content of cellular envelopes. Daptomycin suceptible strain vs daptomycin non suceptible strain after daptomycin treatment
Project description:The alternative sigma factor M-OM-^CB of Staphylococcus aureus is involved in the coordination of the general stress response, expression of virulence determinants and modulation of antibiotic resistance levels. It controls a large regulon, either directly by recognizing conserved M-OM-^CB promoter sequences, or indirectly via M-OM-^CB-dependent elements. The M-OM-^CB-controlled yabJ-spoVG operon encodes two such putative downstream elements. We report here transcriptome analysis in S. aureus Newman showing that inactivation of the yabJ-spoVG operon had primarily a repressing effect on a small subregulon comprising mainly virulence factors, including a nuclease (nuc), a protease (splE) and a lipase (lip).. As a consequence extracellular nuclease, protease and lipase activities were reduced in a yabJspoVG mutant. Trans-complementation by SpoVG was sufficient to restore their reduced phenotypic expression and lowered transcription due to yabJ-spoVG deletion. It did not restore, however, the changes triggered by M-OM-^CB inactivation, indicating that both regulons do only partially overlap, despite the M-OM-^CB dependency of the yabJ-spoVG expression. Thus, M-OM-^CB is likely to control additional, SpoVG-independent factors affecting the expression of numerous hydrolytic enzymes. SpoVG, on the other hand, seems to fine-tune the M-OM-^CB-dependent regulation of a subset of virulence factors by antagonizing the M-OM-^CB effect. Newman wild type strain compared to double mutant spoVG and yabJ or to sigB truncated mutant