Project description:Viperin is an interferon-induced cellular protein conserved in animals. It was shown to inhibit the replication of multiple viruses by producing a ribonucleotide called 3’-deoxy-3’4’-didehydro-CTP (ddhCTP), which acts as a chain terminator for the viral RNA polymerase. Here we show that the eukaryotic viperin has originated from a clade of bacterial and archaeal proteins that protect against phage infection. Prokaryotic viperins (pVips) produce a set of modified ribonucleotides that include, in addition to ddhCTP, also ddhGTP and ddhUTP. We further provide evidence that pVips protect against T7 phage infection by inhibiting viral polymerase-dependent transcription, suggesting a conserved mechanism of action shared between pVips and the animal viperin. Our results unveil a potential repository of natural antiviral compounds produced by bacterial immune systems.
Project description:Bacteriophages are increasingly recognised as key players in modulating plant-microbe interactions, including their potential in the biocontrol of plant pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we investigated the tripartite interaction between, Arabidopsis thaliana, the bacterial plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), and the lytic phage Seregon. Using meta-transcriptomic profiling, we characterized host and pathogen responses during infection and phage treatment. While a single phage treatment did not lead to the eradication of Xcc, treatment with phage Seregon significantly mitigated Xcc-induced disease symptoms, restoring leaf growth to levels comparable to the uninfected control within 14 days post-inoculation. Our data revealed that phage-mediated protection is associated with early bacterial recognition and suppression of jasmonate (JA)-related responses in the host. Analysis of nuclear localized reporter plant cell lines further confirmed a significant reduction in ROS levels in phage-treated plants. Concurrently, Xcc exhibited significant transcriptional downregulation of key virulence factors in the presence of the phage, including the genes encoding the type III secretion system, its associated effectors, and components involved in flagella biosynthesis. Remarkably, phage treatment did not lead to a significant increase in bacterial resistance to phage infection, which is in stark contrast to in vitro conditions. Taken together, this study provides first mechanistic insight into how phages can be harnessed to shape plant-pathogen interactions and highlights their potential role in enhancing plant resilience through targeted modulation of both host immunity and pathogen behaviour.
Project description:Bacteriophage are abundant at sites of bacterial infection, but their effects on mammalian hosts are unclear. We have identified pathogenic roles for filamentous Pf bacteriophage produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) in suppression of immunity against bacterial infection. Pf promote Pa wound infection in mice and are associated with chronic human Pa wound infections. Murine and human leukocytes endocytose Pf, and internalization of this single-stranded DNA virus results in phage RNA production. This triggers Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)- and TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF)-dependent type I interferon production, inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and the suppression of phagocytosis. Conversely, immunization of mice against Pf prevents Pa wound infection. Thus, Pf triggers maladaptive innate viral pattern-recognition responses, which impair bacterial clearance. Vaccination against phage virions represents a potential strategy to prevent bacterial infection.
Project description:Bacteria harbor diverse mechanisms to defend themselves against their viral predators, bacteriophages. In response, phages can evolve counter-defense systems, most of which remain poorly understood. In T4-like phages, the gene tifA prevents bacterial defense by the type III toxin-antitoxin (TA) system toxIN, but the mechanism by which TifA inhibits toxIN remains unclear. Here, we show that TifA directly binds both the endoribonuclease ToxN and RNA, leading to the formation of a high molecular weight ribonucleoprotein complex in which ToxN is inhibited. The RNA binding activity of TifA is necessary for its interaction with and inhibition of ToxN. Thus, we propose that TifA inhibits ToxN during phage infection by trapping ToxN on cellular RNA, particularly the abundant 16S rRNA, preventing cleavage of phage transcripts. Taken together, our results reveal a novel mechanism underlying inhibition of a phage-defensive RNase toxin by a small, phage-encoded protein.
Project description:Plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors activate cell death and confer disease resistance by unknown mechanisms. We demonstrate that plant Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains of NLRs are enzymes capable of degrading nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in its oxidized form (NAD+). Both cell death induction and NAD+ cleavage activity of plant TIR domains require known self-association interfaces and a putative catalytic glutamic acid that is conserved in both bacterial TIR NAD+-cleaving enzymes (NADases) and the mammalian SARM1 (sterile alpha and TIR motif containing 1) NADase. We identify a variant of cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose as a biomarker of TIR enzymatic activity. TIR enzymatic activity is induced by pathogen recognition and functions upstream of the genes enhanced disease susceptibility 1 (EDS1) and N requirement gene 1 (NRG1), which encode regulators required for TIR immune function. Thus, plant TIR-NLR receptors require NADase function to transduce recognition of pathogens into a cell death response.
Project description:Multiple myeloma is an aggressive hematopoietic cancer of plasma cells. The recent emergence of three effective FDA-approved proteasome-inhibiting drugs, bortezomib (Velcade®), carfilzomib (Kyprolis®), and ixazomib (Ninlaro®), confirms that proteasome inhibitors are therapeutically useful against neoplastic disease, in particular refractory multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma. This study describes the synthesis, computational affinity assessment, and preclinical evaluation of TIR-199, a natural product-derived syrbactin structural analog. Molecular modeling and simulation suggested that TIR-199 covalently binds each of the three catalytic subunits (β1, β2, and β5) and revealed key interaction sites. In vitro and cell culture-based proteasome activity measurements confirmed that TIR-199 inhibits the proteasome in a dose-dependent manner and induces tumor cell death in multiple myeloma and neuroblastoma cells as well as other cancer types in the NCI-60 cell panel. It is particularly effective against kidney tumor cell lines, with >250-fold higher anti-tumor activities than observed with the natural product syringolin A. In vivo studies in mice revealed a maximum tolerated dose of TIR-199 at 25 mg/kg. The anti-tumor activity of TIR-199 was confirmed in hollow fiber assays in mice. Adverse drug reaction screens in a kidney panel revealed no off-targets of concern. This is the first study to examine the efficacy of a syrbactin in animals. Taken together, the results suggest that TIR-199 is a potent new proteasome inhibitor with promise for further development into a clinical drug for the treatment of multiple myeloma and other forms of cancer.
Project description:TIR domains are NAD-degrading enzymes that function during immune signaling in prokaryotes, plants, and animals. In plants, most TIR domains are incorporated into intracellular immune receptors termed TNLs. In Arabidopsis, TIR-derived small molecules bind and activate EDS1 heterodimers, which in turn activate RNLs, a class of cation channel-forming immune receptors. RNL activation drives cytoplasmic Ca2+ influx, transcriptional reprogramming, pathogen resistance, and host cell death. We screened for mutants that suppress an RNL activation mimic allele and identified a TNL, SADR1. Despite being required for the function of an autoactivated RNL, SADR1 is not required for defense signaling triggered by other tested TNLs. SADR1 is required for defense signaling initiated by some transmembrane pattern recognition receptors and contributes to the unbridled spread of cell death in lesion simulating disease 1. Together with RNLs, SADR1 regulates defense gene expression at infection site borders, likely in a non-cell autonomous manner. RNL mutants that cannot sustain this pattern of gene expression are unable to prevent disease spread beyond localized infection sites, suggesting that this pattern corresponds to a pathogen containment mechanism. SADR1 potentiates RNL-driven immune signaling not only through the activation of EDS1 but also partially independently of EDS1. We studied EDS1-independent TIR function using nicotinamide, an NADase inhibitor. Nicotinamide decreased defense induction from transmembrane pattern recognition receptors and decreased calcium influx, pathogen growth restriction, and host cell death following intracellular immune receptor activation. We demonstrate that TIR domains can potentiate calcium influx and defense and are thus broadly required for Arabidopsis immunity.
Project description:The recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa has highlighted the clear shortage of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs for emerging viruses. There are numerous FDA approved drugs and other small molecules described in the literature that could be further evaluated for their potential as antiviral compounds. These molecules are in addition to the few new antivirals that have been tested in Ebola patients but were not originally developed against the Ebola virus, and may play an important role as we await an effective vaccine. The balance between using FDA approved drugs versus novel antivirals with minimal safety and no efficacy data in humans should be considered. We have evaluated 55 molecules from the perspective of an experienced medicinal chemist as well as using simple molecular properties and have highlighted 16 compounds that have desirable qualities as well as those that may be less desirable. In addition we propose that a collaborative database for sharing such published and novel information on small molecules is needed for the research community studying the Ebola virus.
Project description:Programmed cell suicide of infected bacteria, known as abortive infection (Abi), serves as a central immune defense strategy to prevent the spread of bacteriophage viruses and other invasive genetic elements across a population. Many Abi systems utilize bespoke cyclic nucleotide immune messengers generated upon infection to rapidly mobilize cognate death effectors. Here, we identify a large family of bacteriophage nucleotidyltransferases (NTases) which synthesize competitor cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) ligands and inhibit NAD-depleting TIR effectors activated through a linked STING CDN sensor domain (TIR-STING). Through a functional screen of NTase-adjacent phage genes, we uncover candidate inhibitors of host TIR-STING suicide signaling. Among these, we demonstrate that a virus MazG-like nucleotide pyrophosphatase, Atd1, depletes the starvation alarmone (p)ppGpp, revealing a role for the alarmone-activated host toxin MazF as a key executioner of TIR-driven abortive infection. Phage NTases and counter-defenses like Atd1 preserve host viability to ensure virus propagation, and may be exploited as tools to modulate TIR and STING immune responses.