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Activation of Bacteroides fragilis toxin by a novel bacterial protease contributes to anaerobic sepsis in mice.

ABSTRACT: Bacteroides fragilis is the leading cause of anaerobic bacteremia and sepsis. Enterotoxigenic strains that produce B. fragilis toxin (BFT, fragilysin) contribute to colitis and intestinal malignancy, yet are also isolated in bloodstream infection. It is not known whether these strains harbor unique genetic determinants that confer virulence in extra-intestinal disease. We demonstrate that BFT contributes to sepsis in mice, and we identify a B. fragilis protease called fragipain (Fpn) that is required for the endogenous activation of BFT through the removal of its auto-inhibitory prodomain. Structural analysis of Fpn reveals a His-Cys catalytic dyad that is characteristic of C11-family cysteine proteases that are conserved in multiple pathogenic Bacteroides spp. and Clostridium spp. Fpn-deficient, enterotoxigenic B. fragilis has an attenuated ability to induce sepsis in mice; however, Fpn is dispensable in B. fragilis colitis, wherein host proteases mediate BFT activation. Our findings define a role for B. fragilis enterotoxin and its activating protease in the pathogenesis of bloodstream infection, which indicates a greater complexity of cellular targeting and activity of BFT than previously recognized. The expression of fpn by both toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains suggests that this protease may contribute to anaerobic sepsis in ways that extend beyond its role in toxin activation. It could thus potentially serve as a target for disease modification.

SUBMITTER: Choi VM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4860040 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Activation of Bacteroides fragilis toxin by a novel bacterial protease contributes to anaerobic sepsis in mice.

Choi Vivian M VM Herrou Julien J Hecht Aaron L AL Teoh Wei Ping WP Turner Jerrold R JR Crosson Sean S Bubeck Wardenburg Juliane J

Nature medicine 20160418 5

Bacteroides fragilis is the leading cause of anaerobic bacteremia and sepsis. Enterotoxigenic strains that produce B. fragilis toxin (BFT, fragilysin) contribute to colitis and intestinal malignancy, yet are also isolated in bloodstream infection. It is not known whether these strains harbor unique genetic determinants that confer virulence in extra-intestinal disease. We demonstrate that BFT contributes to sepsis in mice, and we identify a B. fragilis protease called fragipain (Fpn) that is req ...[more]

PMID: 27089515

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Project description:Purpose: The goal of this study is to determine how BFT2 alters chromatin accessibility at relatively early time points in colon epithelial cells, and to correlate the changes in chromatin accessibility with changes in gene expression, transcription factor binding sites, and the location of common single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in colorectal cancer. Methods: HT29/C1 cells were plated at low density and allowed to grow for 4 days at 37C and 10% CO2. Afterwards, cells were either left untreated or treated with 100ng/mL BFT2 for 24 or 48 hours. After the specified time point, cells were counted and DNA was collected in order to prepare ATAC-seq libraries. ATAC-seq library was prepared as outlined by Buenrostro et al. (2013). The 4nM pooled ATAC-seq library was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq. For each sample, three biological replicates were sequenced. After sequencing, the data was analyzed using the pipeline developed by the Kundaje lab, as outlined on ENCODE (Lee et al., 2016). Briefly, reads were trimmed, aligned and filtered using Bowtie2, and peaks were called using MACS2. The three replicate peak files were combined in order to create one consensus file for each treatment condition using an irreproducible discovery rate (IDR) threshold of 0.1. For all analyses, the “optimal set” consensus file was used. Results: Our data show that several genes are differentially expressed after BFT treatment and these changes correlate with changes in chromatin accessibility. This correlation is mediated by an increase in chromatin accessibility at particular transcription factor binding sites. Also, sites of increased chromatin accessibility are associated with a lower frequency of common single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in CRC and with a higher frequency of common differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in CRC. Conclusions: This study adds critical knowledge to our understanding of host-microbe interactions in the gut. While scientists have begun to analyze the effect of specific bacteria on the epigenome of colon epithelial cells, to date, no other studies have surveyed the effect of a specific bacterial toxin on chromatin accessibility in colon epithelial cells. We conclude that BFT2 alters chromatin accessibility in colon epithelial cells, and that these changes correlate with subsequent changes in gene expression. Also, sites of BFT2-induced increased chromatin accessibility are associated with a lower frequency of common single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in CRC and with a higher frequency of common differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in CRC.

Project description:Purpose: The goal of this study is to determine how BFT2 alters chromatin accessibility at relatively early time points in colon epithelial cells, and to correlate the changes in chromatin accessibility with changes in gene expression, transcription factor binding sites, and the location of common single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in colorectal cancer. Methods: HT29/C1 cells were plated at low density and allowed to grow for 4 days at 37C and 10% CO2. Afterwards, cells were either left untreated or treated with 100ng/mL BFT2 for 24 or 48 hours. After the specified time point, cells were counted and RNA was collected in order to prepare RNA-seq libraries. RNA was collected using the Qiagen RNeasy mini kit. mRNA was enriched using the NEBNext Poly(A) mRNA Magnetic Isolation Module. Afterwards, a non-directional RNA-seq library was constructed using the NEBnext Ultra RNA Library Prep kit from Illumina. The 2nM pooled RNA-seq library was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq. Results: After sequencing, Kallisto was used to perform pseudoalignment of the raw RNA-seq data. Then, Sleuth was used to quantify gene expression and perform differential expression analyses. After treatment with BFT2 for 24 hours, 70 genes were differentially expressed (P-value < 0.01). Of these genes, 41 showed a decrease in gene expression, while 29 showed an increase in gene expression. After BFT2 treatment for 48 hours, we found only 16 differentially expressed genes (P-value < 0.01); 3 showed a decrease in gene expression and 13 showed an increase in gene expression. Conclusions: This study adds critical knowledge to our understanding of host-microbe interactions in the gut. While scientists have begun to analyze the effect of specific bacteria on the epigenome of colon epithelial cells, to date, no other studies have surveyed the effect of a specific bacterial toxin on chromatin accessibility in colon epithelial cells. We conclude that BFT2 alters chromatin accessibility in colon epithelial cells, and that these changes correlate with subsequent changes in gene expression. Also, sites of BFT2-induced increased chromatin accessibility are associated with a lower frequency of common single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in CRC and with a higher frequency of common differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in CRC.

Project description:Bacteroidales are the most abundant Gram-negative bacteria of the healthy human colonic microbiota, comprising nearly 50% of the colonic bacteria in many individuals. Numerous species and strains of gut Bacteroidales are present simultaneously at high concentrations in this ecosystem. Studies are revealing that gut Bacteroides has numerous antibacterial weapons to antagonize closely related members. In this study, we identify a new diffusible antibacterial toxin produced by Bacteroides fragilis 638R, designated BSAP-4. This is the fifth antibacterial toxin produced by this strain and the second toxin of this strain with a membrane attack complex/perforin domain (MACPF). We identify the target molecule of sensitive cells as a ?-barrel outer membrane protein (OMP) with calycin-like domains. As with other MACPF toxins, the gene encoding the target in sensitive strains is in the same genetic region as bsap-4 in producing strains. A comparison of B. fragilis strains showed there are two sensitive variants of this OMP that are 87% similar to each other and 50% similar to the resistant OMP. Unlike other MACPF toxins, there are numerous B. fragilis strains that harbor the resistant OMP without bsap-4 Several OMP variants from strains that are BSAP-4 resistant under the conditions of our assay confer BSAP-4 sensitivity to Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron when constitutively expressed. Using a reporter assay, we show that the BSAP-4 receptor gene is differentially expressed in sensitive and resistant strains leading to apparent BSAP-4 resistance under the conditions of our assay, despite harboring the BSAP-4 target gene.IMPORTANCE The intestinal microbiota is a diverse microbial ecosystem that provides numerous benefits to humans. The factors that govern its establishment and stability are just beginning to be elucidated. Identification and characterization of antimicrobial toxins produced by its members and their killing range are essential to understanding the role of antagonism in community composition and stability. Here, we identify a fifth antimicrobial toxin produced by a single Bacteroides fragilis strain and identify its target. The finding of such a large number of toxins that antagonize competing members suggests that this feature substantially contributes to the fitness of these bacteria. In addition, these toxins may have applications in genetically engineered gut bacteria to allow engraftment or to antagonize a potentially pathogenic member.

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Activation of Bacteroides fragilis toxin by a novel bacterial protease contributes to anaerobic sepsis in mice.

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Activation of Bacteroides fragilis toxin by a novel bacterial protease contributes to anaerobic sepsis in mice.

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