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In silico analyses of primers used to detect the pathogenicity genes of Vibrio cholerae.

ABSTRACT: In Vibrio cholerae, the etiological agent of cholera, most of the virulence genes are located in two pathogenicity islands, named TCP (Toxin-Co-regulated Pilus) and CTX (Cholera ToXins). For each V. cholerae pathogenicity gene, we retrieved every primer published since 1990 and every known allele in order to perform a complete in silico survey and assess the quality of the PCR primers used for amplification of these genes. Primers with a melting temperature in the range 55-60°C against any target sequence were considered valid. Our survey clearly revealed that two thirds of the published primers are not able to properly detect every genetic variant of the target genes. Moreover, the quality of primers did not improve with time. Their lifetime, i.e. the number of times they were cited in the literature, is also not a factor allowing the selection of valid primers. We were able to improve some primers or design new primers for the few cases where no valid primer was found. In conclusion, many published primers should be avoided or improved for use in molecular detection tests, in order to improve and perfect specificity and coverage. This study suggests that bioinformatic analyses are important to validate the choice of primers.

SUBMITTER: Gardes J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4036039 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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In silico analyses of primers used to detect the pathogenicity genes of Vibrio cholerae.

Gardès Julien J Croce Olivier O Christen Richard R

Microbes and environments 20120517 3

In Vibrio cholerae, the etiological agent of cholera, most of the virulence genes are located in two pathogenicity islands, named TCP (Toxin-Co-regulated Pilus) and CTX (Cholera ToXins). For each V. cholerae pathogenicity gene, we retrieved every primer published since 1990 and every known allele in order to perform a complete in silico survey and assess the quality of the PCR primers used for amplification of these genes. Primers with a melting temperature in the range 55-60°C against any targe ...[more]

PMID: 22673304

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Project description:A non-O1 non-O139 Vibrio cholerae strain, 10259, belonging to the serogroup O53 was shown to harbor genes related to the vibrio pathogenicity island (VPI) and a cholera toxin (CT) genetic element called CTX. While the nucleotide sequence of the strain 10259 tcpA gene differed significantly (26 and 28%) from those of O1 classical and El Tor biotype strains, respectively, partial sequence analysis data of certain other VPI-associated genes (aldA, tagA, tcpP/H, toxT, acfB/C, and int) and intergenic regions (tcpF to toxT and tcpH to tcpA) of the strain showed only minor variations (0.4 to 4.8%) from corresponding sequences in O1 strains. Strain 10259 also contained CTX element-associated toxin genes with sequences almost identical to those of O1 strains. Growth of the organism in Luria broth (LB) under ToxR inducing conditions (30 degrees C and pH 6.5) led to transcriptional activation of tcpP/H, toxR, toxT, and tcpA genes, but not of ctxA, as determined by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Subsequent analysis revealed that strain 10259 possessed only two copies (instead of three or more copies found in epidemic-causing O1 or O139 strains) of the heptanucleotide (TTTTGAT) repeats in the intergenic region upstream of ctxAB. Therefore, a strain 10259 mutant was generated by replacement of this region with a homologous region (1.4 kb) derived from a V. cholerae O1 classical biotype strain (O395) that contained seven such repeats. The resultant recombinant strain (10259R) was found to be capable of coordinately regulated expression of toxT, ctxA, and tcpA when grown under the ToxR inducing conditions. Serological studies also demonstrated that the recombinant strain produced TcpA and a significantly ( approximately 1,000-fold) higher level of CT in vitro compared to that of the parent strain. Virulence gene expression in two other non-O1 non-O139 strains (serogroup O37) containing VPI and the CTX element was studied by RT-PCR and serological assay. One strain (S7, which was involved in an epidemic in Sudan in 1968) showed coordinately regulated expression of virulence genes leading to the production of both CT and TcpA in LB medium. However, the other strain, V2, produced RT-PCR-detectable transcripts of toxT, ctxA, or tcpA genes in the early phase (6 h), but not in the late phase (16 h) of growth in LB medium. These results are consistent with the low levels of production of CT and TcpA by the strain that were serologically detectable. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the role of virulence genes and their expression to the pathogenic potential of V. cholerae strains belonging to non-O1 serogroups.

Project description:BackgroundThe prolonged use of antibiotic viz., tetracycline, quinolones, ampicillin, etc., to reduce the infection of cholera, may failed due to the emergence of new Vibrio cholerae antibiotics resistant strains. Moreover, these antibiotics even restricted for patient suffering from severe dehydration. Hence, there is a call to find an alternative therapeutics against V. cholerae. The natures serve different herbs in its lap which might contain several natural therapeutic compounds almost all diseases. Computer-aided designing is the initial steps for screening the novel inhibitors.ObjectiveTo identify and evaluate natural compounds with low side effects with high efficacy against V. cholerae has been done.Materials and methodsIn silico screening, absorption, digestion, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), and docking of herbal compounds have been performed on to the target ToxT (transcriptional activator of V. cholerae). The compound with good ADME properties and drug-likeness property were subjected to docking.ResultsFrom 70 herbal compounds, some compounds such as aloin, campesterol, lupeol, and ursolic acid showed a violation of the rule of five and compounds such as lupeol and beta carotene showed negative binding energy. Luteolin, catechin, brevifolin, etc., compounds were selected based on ADME, drug-likeness property, and docking studies.ConclusionTwo compounds named catechin and luteolin showed better inhibition properties against ToxT and good ADME and drug-likeness property were selected as a better lead molecule for drug development in future. The Genetic Optimization for Ligand Docking fitness score for catechin is 48.74 kcal/mol and luteolin 38.12 kcal/mol.SummaryVibrio cholerae became antibiotic resistance and associated with several cholera epidemic and pandemic. Hence, there is a need to find an alternative therapeutics against V. cholerae. Many herbal compounds present in nature having high medicinal value. From in-silico study, found two compound Luteolin from Tulsi and Catechin from Green Tea which showed good binding energy and druggish property. Abbreviations used: V. cholerae: Vibrio cholera, ADME: Absorption, digestion, metabolism and excretion, CT: Cholera toxin, TCP: Toxin co-regulated Pilus, GOLD: Genetic Optimization for Ligand Docking, Asp: Aspartic acid, Arg: Arginine, Lys: Lysine, Thr: Threonine, Tyr: Tyrosine, KEGG: Kyoto encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Riboflavin is the precursor of important redox cofactors such as flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide, required for several biological processes. Vibrio cholerae, a pathogenic bacterium responsible for the cholera disease, possesses the ability to biosynthesize de novo as well as to uptake riboflavin through the riboflavin biosynthetic pathway (RBP) and the RibN importer, respectively. The intra-organism relationship between riboflavin biosynthesis and uptake functions has not been studied. RESULTS:This work determined the transcriptional organization of RBP genes and ribN in V. cholerae through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and analyzed their expression when growing with or without extracellular riboflavin using real time PCR. The RBP is organized in three transcriptional units, the major one containing ribD, ribE, ribA and ribH together with genes involved in functions not directly related to riboflavin biosynthesis such as nrdR and nusB. In addition, two independent monocistronic units contain ribA2 and ribB, the later conserving a putative FMN riboswitch. The ribN gene is encoded in operon with a gene coding for a predicted outer membrane protein and a gene encoding a protein with a glutaredoxin domain. Regulation analysis showed that among these transcriptional units, only ribB is negatively regulated by riboflavin and that its repression depends on the RibN riboflavin importer. Moreover, external riboflavin highly induced ribB transcription in a ?ribN strain. Also, a genomic database search found a negative correlation between the presence of nrdR and nusB and the FMN riboswitch in bacterial RBP operons. CONCLUSIONS:Growing in the presence of riboflavin downregulates only a single element among the transcriptional units of riboflavin supply pathways. Thus, endogenous riboflavin biosynthesis seems to be negatively regulated by extracellular riboflavin through its specific effect on transcription of ribB in V. cholerae.

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In silico analyses of primers used to detect the pathogenicity genes of Vibrio cholerae.

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In silico analyses of primers used to detect the pathogenicity genes of Vibrio cholerae.

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