Showing papers by "Scott J. Hultgren published in 2014"

Structural and mechanistic insights into the bacterial amyloid secretion channel CsgG

Abstract: Curli are functional amyloid fibres that constitute the major protein component of the extracellular matrix in pellicle biofilms formed by Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria (predominantly of the α and γ classes). They provide a fitness advantage in pathogenic strains and induce a strong pro-inflammatory response during bacteraemia. Curli formation requires a dedicated protein secretion machinery comprising the outer membrane lipoprotein CsgG and two soluble accessory proteins, CsgE and CsgF. Here we report the X-ray structure of Escherichia coli CsgG in a non-lipidated, soluble form as well as in its native membrane-extracted conformation. CsgG forms an oligomeric transport complex composed of nine anticodon-binding-domain-like units that give rise to a 36-stranded β-barrel that traverses the bilayer and is connected to a cage-like vestibule in the periplasm. The transmembrane and periplasmic domains are separated by a 0.9-nm channel constriction composed of three stacked concentric phenylalanine, asparagine and tyrosine rings that may guide the extended polypeptide substrate through the secretion pore. The specificity factor CsgE forms a nonameric adaptor that binds and closes off the periplasmic face of the secretion channel, creating a 24,000 A(3) pre-constriction chamber. Our structural, functional and electrophysiological analyses imply that CsgG is an ungated, non-selective protein secretion channel that is expected to employ a diffusion-based, entropy-driven transport mechanism.

EbpA vaccine antibodies block binding of Enterococcus faecalis to fibrinogen to prevent catheter-associated bladder infection in mice.

Abstract: Enterococci bacteria are a frequent cause of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, the most common type of hospital-acquired infection. Treatment has become increasingly challenging because of the emergence of multiantibiotic-resistant enterococcal strains and their ability to form biofilms on catheters. We identified and targeted a critical step in biofilm formation and developed a vaccine that prevents catheter-associated urinary tract infections in mice. In the murine model, formation of catheter-associated biofilms by Enterococcus faecalis depends on EbpA, which is the minor subunit at the tip of a heteropolymeric surface fiber known as the endocarditisand biofilm-associated pilus (Ebp). We show that EbpA is an adhesin that mediates bacterial attachment to host fibrinogen, which is released and deposited on catheters after introduction of the catheter into the mouse bladder. Fibrinogen-binding activity resides in the amino-terminal domain of EbpA (EbpA NTD ), and vaccination with EbpA and EbpA NTD , but not itscarboxyl-terminal domain or otherEbp subunits, inhibited biofilm formation in vivo and protected againstcatheter-associatedurinarytractinfection.Analysesinvitrodemonstratedthatprotectionwasassociatedwith a serum antibody response that blocked EbpA binding to fibrinogen and the formation of a fibrinogen-dependent biofilm on catheters. This approach may provide a new strategy for the prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Pilicide ec240 disrupts virulence circuits in uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Abstract: Chaperone-usher pathway (CUP) pili are extracellular organelles produced by Gram-negative bacteria that mediate bacterial pathogenesis. Small-molecule inhibitors of CUP pili, termed pilicides, were rationally designed and shown to inhibit type 1 or P piliation. Here, we show that pilicide ec240 decreased the levels of type 1, P, and S piliation. Transcriptomic and pro- teomic analyses using the cystitis isolate UTI89 revealed that ec240 dysregulated CUP pili and decreased motility. Paradoxically, the transcript levels of P and S pilus genes were increased during growth in ec240, even though the level of P and S piliation de- creased. In contrast, the most downregulated transcripts after growth in ec240 were from the type 1 pilus genes. Type 1 pilus ex- pression is controlled by inversion of the fimS promoter element, which can oscillate between phase on and phase off orienta- tions. ec240 induced the fimS phase off orientation, and this effect was necessary for the majority of ec240's inhibition of type 1 piliation. ec240 increased levels of the transcriptional regulators SfaB and PapB, which were shown to induce the fimS promoter phase off orientation. Furthermore, the effect of ec240 on motility was abolished in the absence of the SfaB, PapB, SfaX, and PapX regulators. In contrast to the effects of ec240, deletion of the type 1 pilus operon led to increased S and P piliation and mo- tility. Thus, ec240 dysregulated several uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) virulence factors through different mechanisms and independent of its effects on type 1 pilus biogenesis and may have potential as an antivirulence compound. IMPORTANCE CUP pili and flagella play active roles in the pathogenesis of a variety of Gram-negative bacterial infections, includ- ing urinary tract infections mediated by UPEC. These are extremely common infections that are often recurrent and increasingly caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms. Preventing piliation and motility through altered regulation and assembly of these important virulence factors could aid in the development of novel therapeutics. This study increases our understanding of the regulation of these virulence factors, providing new avenues by which to target their expression.

Compounds and methods for treating bacterial infections

Abstract: The present invention encompasses compounds and methods for treating urinary tract infections.

A 2-Pyridone-Amide Inhibitor Targets the Glucose Metabolism Pathway of Chlamydia trachomatis

Abstract: In a screen for compounds that inhibit infectivity of the obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis, we identified the 2-pyridone amide KSK120. A fluorescent KSK120 analogue was synthes ...

Syntheses and biological evaluation of 2-amino-3-acyl-tetrahydrobenzothiophene derivatives; antibacterial agents with antivirulence activity.

Abstract: Developing new compounds targeting virulence factors (e.g., inhibition of pilus assembly by pilicides) is a promising approach to combating bacterial infection. A high-throughput screening campaign of a library of 17 500 small molecules identified 2-amino-3-acyl-tetrahydrobenzothiophene derivatives (hits 2 and 3) as novel inhibitors of pili-dependent biofilm formation in a uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain UTI89. Based on compounds 2 and 3 as the starting point, we designed and synthesized a series of structurally related analogs and investigated their activity against biofilm formation of E. coli UTI89. Systematic structural modification of the initial hits provided valuable information on their SARs for further optimization. In addition, small structural changes to the parent molecules resulted in low micromolar inhibitors (20–23) of E. coli biofilm development without an effect on bacterial growth. The hit compound 3 and its analog 20 were confirmed to prevent pili formation in a hemagglutination (HA) titer assay and electron microscopy (EM) measurements. These findings suggest that 2-amino-3-acyl-tetrahydrobenzothiophenes may serve as a new class of compounds for further elaboration as antibacterial agents with antivirulence activity.

Urinary Tract Infections

Abstract: Urinary tract infections (UTI), one of the most common bacterial infections, afflict 50 % of all women at least once in their lifetime with a 20–30 % chance of a recurrent infection [1]. Further, the risk of UTI is elevated in people with altered metabolism, including diabetes (see chapter “ Diabetes mellitus”), obesity (see chapter “ Metabolic syndrome”), and pregnancy (see chapter “ Overview” under the part “Reproductive system”) [2–4]. The major etiological agent is uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) accounting for ~80 % of noncomplicated community-acquired UTI [1].