Project description:Otitis media, pneumonia, sinusitis and as well as severe diseases such as meningitis and bacteraemia are related to biofilm-like diseases, in which Streptococcus pneumoniae demonstrated differential and tissue specific gene expressions. In this study, we reported the differential gene expression profile of early in vitro biofilm and planktonic cell in c-DNA microarray analysis. The microarray analysis was performed on total RNA extracted from biofilms grown in 24-well microtiter plate and mid-log grown planktonic cells. To validate the results of microarray, real-time RT-PCR was performed on 13 differentially expressed genes and one constitutively expressed gene from six different functional groups. cDNA-microarray analyses indicated 89 genes that were significantly differentially expressed in biofilm and planktonic cells. Among total differentially expressed gene, almost 50% were hypothetical genes. Of the 46 protein coding genes, 34 showed up-regulation and 16 showed down-regulation in biofilm. The functional annotation showed that many functional categories were differentially regulated in biofilm and planktonic cells, such as genes involve in purine, pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism, RNA/DNA metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, translation, transporter protein, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, cell wall biosynthesis, isoprenoid biosynthesis, transcription regulator and cellular process.
Project description:Although the pili of Gram-positive bacteria are putative virulence factors, little is known about their structure. Here we describe the molecular architecture of pilus-1 of Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. One major (RrgB) and two minor components (RrgA and RrgC) assemble into the pilus. Results from TEM and scanning transmission EM show that the native pili are approximately 6 nm wide, flexible filaments that can be over 1 microm long. They are formed by a single string of RrgB monomers and have a polarity defined by nose-like protrusions. These protrusions correlate to the shape of monomeric RrgB-His, which like RrgA-His and RrgC-His has an elongated, multi-domain structure. RrgA and RrgC are only present at the opposite ends of the pilus shaft, compatible with their putative roles as adhesin and anchor to the cell wall surface, respectively. Our structural analyses provide the first direct experimental evidence that the native S. pneumoniae pilus shaft is composed exclusively of covalently linked monomeric RrgB subunits oriented head-to-tail.
Project description:Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram positive bacterium that causes severe invasive infection such as pneumonia, septicemia, meningitis and otitis media especially in children, the elderly and immune-compromised patients. Pneumococcal colonization and disease is often associated with biofilm formation. Bacteria in biofilms exhibit elevated resistance both to antibiotics and to host defense systems, which often results in persistent and difficult-to-treat infections. Therefore, the ongoing treat to human health posed by pneumococcal biofilms has prompted extensive research aimed to identify alternative targets and new antimicrobial agents that are effective against bacteria biofilms. The effective anti-biofilm strategies should include inhibition of microbial adhesion to the surface and of colonization, interference with the signal molecules modulating biofilm development and the disaggregation of the biofilm matrix. In this study, we examine the effect of DAM inhibitor small molecule pyrimidine-diones on streptococcus pneumoniae D-39 strain growth (planktonic and biofilm) and evaluate the changes in global gene expression using c-DNA microarray. The microarray analysis was performed on total RNA extracted from biofilms grown in 24-well microtiter plate with 7µm/ml pyrimidine-diones small molecule and control biofilms (biofilms grown without pyrimidine-diones small molecule). To validate the results of microarray, real-time RT-PCR was performed on 12 differentially expressed genes from six different functional groups. cDNA-microarray analysis detected a total of 259 genes that were significantly differentially expressed in biofilm growth with pyrimidine-diones small molecule. 204 genes were significantly down expressed and 55 genes were significantly up expressed in biofilms grown with 7µm/ml pyrimidine-diones small molecule. Among the 204 down expressed genes, 45 were hypothetical protein encoding gene and 159 were functional protein encoding genes. Of 55 up-regulated genes 21 were hypothetical genes and 34 were functional protein encoding genes. The functional annotation showed that gene involve in fatty acid metabolism, cell division, cell cycles, DNA metabolism, cell assembly were significantly down regulated and galactose metabolism related gene were up-expressed in biofilm grown with pyrimidine-diones small molecule.
Project description:The polyamine biosynthesis gene, speE, in Streptococcus pneumoniae TIGR4 is necessary for survival in murine models of pneumococcal pneumonia. To date, there is no description of polyamine biosynthesis dependent pneumococcal gene expression. In this study, we compared gene expression between the wild-type and biosynthesis deficient (speE) TIGR4 by RNA-Seq analysis.
Project description:Infections by Streptococcus pneumoniae are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, often causing community-acquired pneumonia, otitis media and also bacteremia and meningitis. Studies on S. pneumoniae are mainly focused on its virulence or capability to evade the host immune system, but little is known about the injury caused in lungs during a pneumococcal infection. Herein we compared the proteome profile of lungs from S. pneumoniae-infected mice with control mice by means of DIGE technology. In order to obtain reliable results three biological replicas were used, and four technical replicas were carried out for each biological replica. Proteomic comparison was performed at two time points: 24 and 48 hours post infection. A total of 91 proteins were identified with different abundance. We found important changes in the protein profiles during pneumococcal infection mainly associated with regulation of vesicle-mediated transport, wound healing, and cytoskeleton organization. In conclusion, S. pneumoniae may manipulate cytoskeleton of the cell during a lung infection likely by the death of eukaryotic cells.
Project description:Otitis media, pneumonia, sinusitis and as well as severe diseases such as meningitis and bacteraemia are related to biofilm-like diseases, in which Streptococcus pneumoniae demonstrated differential and tissue specific gene expressions. In this study, we reported the differential gene expression profile of early in vitro biofilm and planktonic cell in c-DNA microarray analysis. The microarray analysis was performed on total RNA extracted from biofilms grown in 24-well microtiter plate and mid-log grown planktonic cells. To validate the results of microarray, real-time RT-PCR was performed on 13 differentially expressed genes and one constitutively expressed gene from six different functional groups. cDNA-microarray analyses indicated 89 genes that were significantly differentially expressed in biofilm and planktonic cells. Among total differentially expressed gene, almost 50% were hypothetical genes. Of the 46 protein coding genes, 34 showed up-regulation and 16 showed down-regulation in biofilm. The functional annotation showed that many functional categories were differentially regulated in biofilm and planktonic cells, such as genes involve in purine, pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism, RNA/DNA metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, translation, transporter protein, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, cell wall biosynthesis, isoprenoid biosynthesis, transcription regulator and cellular process. Streptococcus pneumoniae R6 strain used in this is an unencapsulated and avirulent strain derived from encapsulated serotype 2 pathogenic strain D39. In vitro biofilm formation was carried out in 24-well, flat-bottom, polystyrene microtiter plate (BD falcon, MD, USA) in static model. S. pneumoniae grown up to mid-logarithmic phase in TSB medium was diluted 1:100 with fresh sterile TSB medium supplied with 1% glucose, inoculated 1.5 mL in 24-well microtiter plate and, incubated for 15 hours at 37M-BM-0C in 5% CO2. After incubation medium was discarded, and the plates were gently washed three times with 1.5 mL sterile, cold phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Adherent cell were scraped and immediately processed for RNA extraction. For planktonic cells RNA extraction, five ml of mid-logarithmic phase cell suspension was pelleted by centrifugation and wash three times with sterile PBS and immediately processed for RNA extraction. All experiments were performed in triplicate (3 independent biological replicates)
Project description:Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) is the predominant causative organism of acute otitis media (AOM) in children. A human cDNA microarray comprising 30,968 human genome probes was used to evaluate the transcriptional changes that occur in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) at the onset of clinical AOM caused by Spn infection in children after comparison of microarray results with the pre-infection healthy stage of the same children.