Project description:Understanding gene expression by bacteria during the actual course of human infection may provide important insights into microbial pathogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the transcriptional profile of Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, in clinical specimens from cholera patients. We collected samples of human stool and vomitus that were positive by dark-field microscopy for abundant vibrios and used a microarray to compare gene expression in organisms recovered directly from the early and late stages of human infection. Our results reveal that V. cholerae gene expression within the human host environment differs from patterns defined in in vitro models of pathogenesis. tcpA, the major subunit of the essential V. cholerae colonization factor, was significantly more highly expressed in early compared with late infection; however, the genes encoding cholera toxin were not highly expressed in either phase of human infection. Furthermore, expression of the virulence regulators, toxRS and tcpPH, was uncoupled. Interestingly, the pattern of gene expression indicates that the human upper intestine may be a uniquely suitable environment for the transfer of genetic elements that are important in the evolution of pathogenic strains of V. cholerae. These findings provide a more detailed assessment of the transcriptome of V. cholerae in the human host than previous studies of organisms in stool alone and have implications for cholera control and the design of improved vaccines. Keywords: comparative gene expression analysis
Project description:Temperature is a crucial environmental signal that govers the occurrence of Vibrio cholerae and cholera outbreaks. To understand how temperature impacts the transcriptome of V. cholerae we performed whole-genome level transcriptional profiling using custom microarrays on cells grown at human body temperature (37 C) then shifted to temperatures V. cholerae experience in the environment (15 C and 25 C).
Project description:Pandemic and endemic strains of Vibrio cholerae arise from toxigenic conversion by the CTXφ bacteriophage, a process by which CTXφ infects non-toxigenic strains of V. cholerae. CTXφ encodes the cholera toxin, an enterotoxin responsible for the watery diarrhea associated with cholera infections. Despite the critical role of CTXφ during infections, signals that affect CTXφ-driven toxigenic conversion or expression of the CTXφ-encoded cholera toxin remain poorly characterized, particularly in the context of the gut mucosa. Here, we identify mucin polymers as potent regulators of CTXφ-driven pathogenicity in V. cholerae. Our results indicate that mucin-associated O-glycans block toxigenic conversion by CTXφ and suppress the expression of CTXφ-related virulence factors, including the toxin co-regulated pilus and cholera toxin, by interfering with the TcpP/ToxR/ToxT virulence pathway. By synthesizing individual mucin glycan structures de novo, we identify the Core 2 motif as the critical structure governing this virulence attenuation. Overall, our results highlight a novel mechanism by which mucins and their associated O-glycan structures affect CTXφ-mediated evolution and pathogenicity of V. cholerae, underscoring the potential regulatory power housed within mucus.
Project description:Understanding gene expression by bacteria during the actual course of human infection may provide important insights into microbial pathogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the transcriptional profile of Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, in clinical specimens from cholera patients. We collected samples of human stool and vomitus that were positive by dark-field microscopy for abundant vibrios and used a microarray to compare gene expression in organisms recovered directly from the early and late stages of human infection. Our results reveal that V. cholerae gene expression within the human host environment differs from patterns defined in in vitro models of pathogenesis. tcpA, the major subunit of the essential V. cholerae colonization factor, was significantly more highly expressed in early compared with late infection; however, the genes encoding cholera toxin were not highly expressed in either phase of human infection. Furthermore, expression of the virulence regulators, toxRS and tcpPH, was uncoupled. Interestingly, the pattern of gene expression indicates that the human upper intestine may be a uniquely suitable environment for the transfer of genetic elements that are important in the evolution of pathogenic strains of V. cholerae. These findings provide a more detailed assessment of the transcriptome of V. cholerae in the human host than previous studies of organisms in stool alone and have implications for cholera control and the design of improved vaccines. The V. cholerae microarray consists of 3,890 full-length PCR products representing the annotated open reading frames from the initial release of the V. cholerae N16961 genome. Each labeling and hybridization was performed in duplicate. Genomic DNA was used as a universal internal control for the quality of the microarray and to allow for the comparison of results across multiple experiments. Data were normalized using locally-weighted regression (Lowess) to obtain the relative abundance of each transcript as an intensity ratio with respect to that of genomic DNA. High correlation coefficients were observed between technical replicates (Pearsonâs correlation coefficient (r) > 0.80) and between results of separate clinical specimens of vomitus (r > 0.77) and of stool (r > 0.80). Hence, the results from the two clinical vomitus specimens and the five clinical stool specimens were pooled. Fold changes for the relative expression of a given gene between the two clinical specimens were calculated by dividing the normalized median intensity ratios with respect to genomic DNA.
Project description:Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a serious public and economic threat. The rate of bacteria acquiring AMR surpasses the rate of new antibiotics discovery, projecting more deadly AMR infections in the future. The Pathogen Box is an open-source library of drug-like compounds that can be screened for antibiotic activity. We have screened molecules of the Pathogen Box against Vibrio cholerae, the cholera-causing pathogen, and successfully identified two compounds, MMV687807 and MMV675968, that inhibit growth. RNA-seq analyses of V. cholerae after incubation with each compound revealed that both compounds affect cellular functions on multiple levels including carbon metabolism, iron homeostasis, and biofilm formation. In addition, whole-genome sequencing analysis of spontaneous resistance mutants identified an efflux system that confers resistance to MMV687807. We also identified that the dihydrofolate reductase is the likely target of MMV675968 suggesting it acts as an analog of trimethoprim but with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 14-fold lower than trimethoprim in molar concentration. In summary, these two compounds that effectively inhibit V. cholerae and other bacteria may lead to the development of new antibiotics for better treatment of the cholera disease.