Project description:In this study, we carried out genome-scale CRISPRi modulation combining fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify genetic determinants for FFAs overproduction in Escherichia coli. The pcnBi (AP) strain that repressed the expression of pcnB produced 2992 mg l FFAs, which was 4.0-fold of the CF (A) strain. To analyze the underlying mechanism of FFAs overproduction, the engineered strain pcnBi and the control strain CF were applied to the transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.
Project description:Antibiotic resistance associated with the expression of the clinically significant carbapenemases, IMP, KPC, and NDM and OXA-48 in Enterobacteriaceae is emerging as a worldwide calamity to health care. In Australia, IMP-producing Enterobacteriaceae is the most prevalent carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). Genomic characteristics of such carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are well described, but the corresponding proteome is poorly characterised. We have thus developed a method to analyse dynamic changes in the proteome of CPE under antibiotic pressure. Specifically, we have investigated the effect of meropenem at sub-lethal concentrations to develop a better understanding of how antibiotic pressure leads to resistance. Escherichia coli, producing either NDM, IMP or KPC type carbapenemase were included in this study, and their proteomes were analysed in growth conditions with or without meropenem.
Project description:E. coli isolates from different CF patients demonstrate increased growth rate when grown with glycerol, a major component of fecal fat, as the sole carbon source compared to E. coli from healthy controls. CF and control E. coli isolates have differential gene expression when grown in minimal media with glycerol as the sole carbon source. While CF isolates display a growth promoting transcriptional profile, control isolates engage stress and stationary phase programs, which likely results in slower growth rates.
Project description:PhoP is considered a regulator of virulence despite being conserved in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae. While Escherichia coli strains represent both non-pathogenic commensal isolates and numerous virulent pathotypes, the PhoP virulence regulator has only been studied in commensal E. coli. To better understand how conserved transcription factors contribute to virulence, we characterized PhoP in pathogenic E. coli. Loss of phoP significantly attenuated E. coli during extraintestinal infection. This was not surprising since we demonstrated that PhoP differentially regulated the transcription of >600 genes. In addition to survival at acidic pH and resistance to polymyxin B, PhoP was required for repression of motility and oxygen-independent changes in the expression of primary dehydrogenase and terminal reductase respiratory chain components. All phenotypes have in common a reliance on an energized membrane. Thus, we hypothesized that PhoP mediated these effects by regulating genes that generate a proton motive force. Indeed, bacteria lacking PhoP exhibited a hyper-polarized membrane, and dissipation of the transmembrane electrochemical gradient increased the susceptibility of the phoP mutant to acidic pH, while inhibiting respiratory generation of the proton gradient restored resistance to antimicrobial peptides independent of lipopolysaccharide modification. These findings demonstrate a connection between PhoP, virulence, and the energized state of the membrane.
Project description:Escherichia coli laboratory strains remain instrumental to the discovery and development of biomarkers as drugs and diagnostic analytes in the post genomic era. The transcriptional regulator SlyA is a member of the multiple antibiotic resistance regulator family of transcription factors, which is associated with bacterial responses to host-derived oxidative stress, antibiotics resistance and virulence, and homologues exist in other Enterobacteriaceae. Here, we announce a transcriptome RNA sequencing data set detailing global gene expression in the wild type E. coli BW25113 and the slyA mutant. Results reveal heterogeneous functionality of SlyA that may vary between pathovars of E. coli. but which require further annotations of differentially expressed tRNAs
