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Regulation of the aceI multidrug efflux pump gene in Acinetobacter baumannii.

ABSTRACT: Objectives:To investigate the function of AceR, a putative transcriptional regulator of the chlorhexidine efflux pump gene aceI in Acinetobacter baumannii. Methods:Chlorhexidine susceptibility and chlorhexidine induction of aceI gene expression were determined by MIC and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively, in A. baumannii WT and ?aceR mutant strains. Recombinant AceR was prepared as both a full-length protein and as a truncated protein, AceR (86-299), i.e. AceRt, which has the DNA-binding domain deleted. The binding interaction of the purified AceR protein and its putative operator region was investigated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting assays. The binding of AceRt with its putative ligand chlorhexidine was examined using surface plasmon resonance and tryptophan fluorescence quenching assays. Results:MIC determination assays indicated that the ?aceI and ?aceR mutant strains both showed lower resistance to chlorhexidine than the parental strain. Chlorhexidine-induced expression of aceI was abolished in a ?aceR background. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting assays demonstrated chlorhexidine-stimulated binding of AceR with two sites upstream of the putative aceI promoter. Surface plasmon resonance and tryptophan fluorescence quenching assays suggested that the purified ligand-binding domain of the AceR protein was able to bind with chlorhexidine with high affinity. Conclusions:This study provides strong evidence that AceR is an activator of aceI gene expression when challenged with chlorhexidine. This study is the first characterization, to our knowledge, of a regulator controlling expression of a PACE family multidrug efflux pump.

SUBMITTER: Liu Q

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5961012 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Regulation of the aceI multidrug efflux pump gene in Acinetobacter baumannii.

Liu Qi Q Hassan Karl A KA Ashwood Heather E HE Gamage Hasinika K A H HKAH Li Liping L Mabbutt Bridget C BC Paulsen Ian T IT

The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy 20180601 6

<h4>Objectives</h4>To investigate the function of AceR, a putative transcriptional regulator of the chlorhexidine efflux pump gene aceI in Acinetobacter baumannii.<h4>Methods</h4>Chlorhexidine susceptibility and chlorhexidine induction of aceI gene expression were determined by MIC and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively, in A. baumannii WT and ΔaceR mutant strains. Recombinant AceR was prepared as both a full-length protein and as a truncated protein, AceR (86-299), i.e. AceRt, which has t ...[more]

PMID: 29481596

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Project description:UNLABELLED:Multidrug efflux systems are a major cause of resistance to antimicrobials in bacteria, including those pathogenic to humans, animals, and plants. These proteins are ubiquitous in these pathogens, and five families of bacterial multidrug efflux systems have been identified to date. By using transcriptomic and biochemical analyses, we recently identified the novel AceI (Acinetobacter chlorhexidine efflux) protein from Acinetobacter baumannii that conferred resistance to the biocide chlorhexidine, via an active efflux mechanism. Proteins homologous to AceI are encoded in the genomes of many other bacterial species and are particularly prominent within proteobacterial lineages. In this study, we expressed 23 homologs of AceI and examined their resistance and/or transport profiles. MIC analyses demonstrated that, like AceI, many of the homologs conferred resistance to chlorhexidine. Many of the AceI homologs conferred resistance to additional biocides, including benzalkonium, dequalinium, proflavine, and acriflavine. We conducted fluorimetric transport assays using the AceI homolog from Vibrio parahaemolyticus and confirmed that resistance to both proflavine and acriflavine was mediated by an active efflux mechanism. These results show that this group of AceI homologs represent a new family of bacterial multidrug efflux pumps, which we have designated the proteobacterial antimicrobial compound efflux (PACE) family of transport proteins. IMPORTANCE:Bacterial multidrug efflux pumps are an important class of resistance determinants that can be found in every bacterial genome sequenced to date. These transport proteins have important protective functions for the bacterial cell but are a significant problem in the clinical setting, since a single efflux system can mediate resistance to many structurally and mechanistically diverse antibiotics and biocides. In this study, we demonstrate that proteins related to the Acinetobacter baumannii AceI transporter are a new class of multidrug efflux systems which are very common in Proteobacteria: the proteobacterial antimicrobial compound efflux (PACE) family. This is the first new family of multidrug efflux pumps to be described in 15 years.

Project description:Antibiotic-resistant strains of the Gram-negative pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii have emerged as a significant global health threat. One successful therapeutic option to treat bacterial infections has been to target the bacterial ribosome. However, in many cases, multidrug efflux pumps within the bacterium recognize and extrude these clinically important antibiotics designed to inhibit the protein synthesis function of the bacterial ribosome. Thus, multidrug efflux within A. baumannii and other highly drug-resistant strains is a major cause of failure of drug-based treatments of infectious diseases. We here report the first structures of the Acinetobacter drug efflux (Ade)J pump in the presence of the antibiotic eravacycline, using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). We also describe cryo-EM structures of the eravacycline-bound forms of the A. baumannii ribosome, including the 70S, 50S, and 30S forms. Our data indicate that the AdeJ pump primarily uses hydrophobic interactions to bind eravacycline, while the 70S ribosome utilizes electrostatic interactions to bind this drug. Our work here highlights how an antibiotic can bind multiple bacterial targets through different mechanisms and potentially enables drug optimization by taking advantage of these different modes of ligand binding. IMPORTANCE Acinetobacter baumannii has developed into a highly antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative pathogen. The prevalent AdeJ multidrug efflux pump mediates resistance to different classes of antibiotics known to inhibit the function of the 70S ribosome. Here, we report the first structures of the A. baumannii AdeJ pump, both in the absence and presence of eravacycline. We also describe structures of the A. baumannii ribosome bound by this antibiotic. Our results indicate that AdeJ and the ribosome use very distinct binding modes for drug recognition. Our work will ultimately enable structure-based drug discovery to combat antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii infection.

Project description:IntroductionMultidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) has become one of the greatest threats worldwide to the therapeutic management of infections. Our previous research confirmed an in vitro synergistic effect of amlodipine and imipenem against A. baumannii, and this study is designed to understand its mechanism.MethodsSixty-four non-duplicate A. baumannii isolates were collected and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by the disk diffusion method. PCR amplification and sequencing were used to identify the presence of the adeB, adeE, adeH, adeJ, abeM and abeS efflux pump genes. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of imipenem, imipenem+amlodipine and imipenem+carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone against these isolates were also determined by the broth microdilution method before and after siRNA silencing of the expression of the adeABC efflux pump.ResultsIn this study, the combination of amlodipine with imipenem showed synergistic antimicrobial activity against sixty-four A. baumannii isolates when compared with the activity of imipenem alone (p<0.025). In the multidrug-resistant group, AML was more effective than carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone (p<0.001). The efflux pump genes adeB, adeE, adeH, adeJ, abeM and abeS were detected in 100% (4/64), 75% (48/64), 0% (0/64), 100% (64/64), 96.9% (62/64) and 96.9% (62/64) of the sixty-four A. baumannii isolates, respectively. The expression of the adeABC efflux pump genes in the multidrug-resistant group (5.05±19.25) is clearly higher than in the non-multidrug-resistant group (0.17±0.20), (p = 0.01). A gene silencing test verified that the mRNA expression levels of adeABC were decreased at 12 h and increased at 24 h, while the reversal of imipenem resistance by amlodipine disappeared at 12 h and reappeared at 24 h.ConclusionsThe combination of amlodipine with imipenem exhibits an in vitro synergistic antimicrobial effect on multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, which may be due to the inhibition of the AdeABC efflux pump.

Dataset Information

Regulation of the aceI multidrug efflux pump gene in Acinetobacter baumannii.

Publications

Regulation of the aceI multidrug efflux pump gene in Acinetobacter baumannii.

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