Project description:Vibrio parahaemolyticus RIMD2210633 secretes both chitinase and chitin oligosaccharide deacetylase and produces β-N-acetyl-d-glucosaminyl-(1,4)-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc-GlcN) from chitin. Previously, we reported that GlcNAc-GlcN induces chitinase production by several strains of Vibrio harboring chitin oligosaccharide deacetylase genes (T. Hirano, K. Kadokura, T. Ikegami, Y. Shigeta, et al., Glycobiology 19:1046-1053, 2009). The metabolism of chitin by Vibrio was speculated on the basis of the findings of previous studies, and the role of chitin oligosaccharide produced from chitin has been well studied. However, the role of GlcNAc-GlcN in the Vibrio chitin degradation system, with the exception of the above-mentioned function as an inducer of chitinase production, remains unclear. N,N'-Diacetylchitobiose, a homodisaccharide produced from chitin, is known to induce the expression of genes encoding several proteins involved in chitin metabolism in Vibrio strains (K. L. Meibom, X. B. Li, A. Nielsen, C. Wu, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:2524-2529, 2004). We therefore hypothesized that GlcNAc-GlcN also affects the expression of enzymes involved in chitin metabolism in the same manner. In this study, we examined the induction of protein expression by several sugars released from chitin using peptide mass fingerprinting and confirmed the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in chitin metabolism using real-time quantitative PCR analysis. We then confirmed that GlcNAc-GlcN induces the expression of genes encoding many soluble enzymes involved in chitin degradation in Vibrio parahaemolyticus Here, we demonstrate that GlcNAc-GlcN enhances the chitin-metabolizing ability of V. parahaemolyticusIMPORTANCE We demonstrate that β-N-acetyl-d-glucosaminyl-(1,4)-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc-GlcN) enhances the chitin-metabolizing ability of V. parahaemolyticus Members of the genus Vibrio are chitin-degrading bacteria, and some species of this genus are associated with diseases affecting fish and animals, including humans (F. L. Thompson, T. Iida, and J. Swings, Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 68:403-431, 2004; M. Y. Ina-Salwany, N. Al-Saari, A. Mohamad, F.-A. Mursidi, et al., J Aquat Anim Health 31:3-22, 2019). Studies on Vibrio are considered important, as they may facilitate the development of solutions related to health, food, and aquaculture problems attributed to this genus. This report enhances the current understanding of chitin degradation by Vibrio bacteria.
Project description:Vibrio species play a crucial role in maintaining the carbon and nitrogen balance between the oceans and the land through their ability to employ chitin as a sole source of energy. This study describes the structural basis for the action of the GH20 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (VhGlcNAcase) in chitin metabolism by Vibrio campbellii (formerly V. harveyi) strain ATCC BAA-1116. Crystal structures of wild-type VhGlcNAcase in the absence and presence of the sugar ligand, and of the unliganded D437A mutant, were determined. VhGlcNAcase contains three distinct domains: an N-terminal carbohydrate-binding domain linked to a small α+β domain and a C-terminal (β/α)8 catalytic domain. The active site of VhGlcNAcase has a narrow, shallow pocket that is suitable for accommodating a small chitooligosaccharide. VhGlcNAcase is a monomeric enzyme of 74 kDa, but its crystal structures show two molecules of enzyme per asymmetric unit, in which Gln16 at the dimeric interface of the first molecule partially blocks the entrance to the active site of the neighboring molecule. The GlcNAc unit observed in subsite -1 makes exclusive hydrogen bonds to the conserved residues Arg274, Tyr530, Asp532 and Glu584, while Trp487, Trp546, Trp582 and Trp505 form a hydrophobic wall around the -1 GlcNAc. The catalytic mutants D437A/N and E438A/Q exhibited a drastic loss of GlcNAcase activity, confirming the catalytic role of the acidic pair (Asp437-Glu438).
Project description:We present the complete genome sequence of Vibrio campbellii DS40M4, assembled from Illumina and Oxford Nanopore data. This effort improves upon a previous draft assembly to resolve this organism's two-chromosome and one-plasmid genetic structure and to provide valuable context for evaluating the gene arrangement and evolution of this species.
Project description:Vibriosis, caused by Vibrio strains, is an important bacterial disease and capable of causing significant high mortality in aquatic animals. Essential oils (EOs) have been considered as an alternative approach for the treatment of aquatic bacterial diseases. In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of essential oils (n = 22) or essential oil components (EOCs, n = 12) against Vibrio strains belonging to the harveyi clade. It was verified by three different approaches, e.g., (i) a bacterial growth assay, comparing Vibrio growth with or without EO(C)s at various concentrations; (ii) a vapor-phase-mediated susceptibility assay, comparing the effect of EO(C)s on bacterial growth through the vapor phase; and (iii) a quorum sensing-inhibitory assay, based on specific inhibition of quorum sensing-regulated bioluminescence. The results showed that, in the bacterial growth assay, EOs of Melaleuca alternifolia and Litsea citrata at 0.0001%, Eucalyptus citriodora at 0.01% can inhibit the growth of Vibrio campbellii BB120. These EOs can also prevent the growth of V. parahaemolyticus strains but need to be present at a higher concentration (0.1%). Moreover, in the vapor-phase-mediated susceptibility assay, EOs of M. alternifolia, L. citrata and E. citriodora can inhibit the growth of V. campbellii BB120 through their vapor phase. However, V. parahaemolyticus strains (CAIM170, LMG2850 and MO904) cannot be inhibited by these EOs. Additionally, in the quorum sensing-inhibitory assay, EOs of Mentha pulegium, Cuminum cyminum, Zingiber officinalis, and E. citriodora, all at 0.001%, have quorum sensing-inhibitory activity in V. campbellii BB120. Taken together, our study provides substantial evidence that usage of the major components, individually or in combination, of the tested commercial EOs (extracted from M. alternifolia, L. citrata, and E. citriodora) could be a promising approach to control V. campbellii BB120.
Project description:BackgroundThe bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is a limited-genome organism that must obtain many of its biochemical building blocks, including N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), from its tick or vertebrate host. GlcNAc can be imported into the cell as a monomer or dimer (chitobiose), and the annotation for several B. burgdorferi genes suggests that this organism may be able to degrade and utilize chitin, a polymer of GlcNAc. We investigated the ability of B. burgdorferi to utilize chitin in the absence of free GlcNAc, and we attempted to identify genes involved in the process. We also examined the role of RpoS, one of two alternative sigma factors present in B. burgdorferi, in the regulation of chitin utilization.ResultsUsing fluorescent chitinase substrates, we demonstrated an inherent chitinase activity in rabbit serum, a component of the B. burgdorferi growth medium (BSK-II). After inactivating this activity by boiling, we showed that wild-type cells can utilize chitotriose, chitohexose or coarse chitin flakes in the presence of boiled serum and in the absence of free GlcNAc. Further, we replaced the serum component of BSK-II with a lipid extract and still observed growth on chitin substrates without free GlcNAc. In an attempt to knockout B. burgdorferi chitinase activity, we generated mutations in two genes (bb0002 and bb0620) predicted to encode enzymes that could potentially cleave the beta-(1,4)-glycosidic linkages found in chitin. While these mutations had no effect on the ability to utilize chitin, a mutation in the gene encoding the chitobiose transporter (bbb04, chbC) did block utilization of chitin substrates by B. burgdorferi. Finally, we provide evidence that chitin utilization in an rpoS mutant is delayed compared to wild-type cells, indicating that RpoS may be involved in the regulation of chitin degradation by this organism.ConclusionsThe data collected in this study demonstrate that B. burgdorferi can utilize chitin as a source of GlcNAc in the absence of free GlcNAc, and suggest that chitin is cleaved into dimers before being imported across the cytoplasmic membrane via the chitobiose transporter. In addition, our data suggest that the enzyme(s) involved in chitin degradation are at least partially regulated by the alternative sigma factor RpoS.
Project description:Phages are bacteria targeting viruses and represent the most abundant biological entities on earth. Marine environments are exceptionally rich in bacteriophages, harboring a total of 4x10(30) viruses. Nevertheless, marine phages remain poorly characterized. Here we describe the identification of intact prophage sequences in the genome of the marine γ-proteobacterium Vibrio campbellii ATCC BAA-1116 (formerly known as V. harveyi ATCC BAA-1116), which presumably belong to the family of Myoviridae. One prophage was found on chromosome I and shows significant similarities to the previously identified phage ΦHAP-1. The second prophage region is located on chromosome II and is related to Vibrio phage kappa. Exposure of V. campbellii to mitomycin C induced the lytic cycle of two morphologically distinct phages and, as expected, extracellular DNA from induced cultures was found to be specifically enriched for the sequences previously identified as prophage regions. Heat stress (50°C, 30 min) was also found to induce phage release in V. campbellii. Notably, promoter activity of two representative phage genes indicated heterogeneous phage induction within the population.
Project description:Epithelial injury underlies fibrotic and inflammatory lung diseases during which regenerative responses become dysregulated or recurrently engaged. Although environmental exposures are risk factors for severe lung disease, specific drivers of persistent epithelial and immune dysfunction are poorly understood. Here we identify a feedback circuit triggered by chitin, a common component of airborne particulate matter, that impacts lung health and regeneration after epithelial injury. In mice, damage to epithelial cells results in loss of homeostatic lung chitinase activity and accumulation of environmental chitin substrates; these disturbances impair epithelial renewal and drive activation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). ILC2s, in turn, restore chitinase activity by inducing acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) in regenerating epithelial cells, thereby promoting chitin degradation, epithelial differentiation, and inflammatory resolution. Mice lacking AMCase or ILC2s fail to clear airway chitin and exhibit exacerbated inflammation, impaired epithelial regeneration, and increased mortality following epithelial injury. These effects are ameliorated by chitinase replacement therapy or AMCase overexpression, demonstrating that chitin degradation is crucial for restoring lung homeostasis after perturbation. The ILC2-chitinase response circuit thus comprises a tissue adaptation to a widespread environmental constituent and may be a target for alleviating persistent post-injury lung epithelial and immune dysfunction.
Project description:Epithelial injury underlies fibrotic and inflammatory lung diseases during which regenerative responses become dysregulated or recurrently engaged. Although environmental exposures are risk factors for severe lung disease, specific drivers of persistent epithelial and immune dysfunction are poorly understood. Here we identify a feedback circuit triggered by chitin, a common component of airborne particulate matter, that impacts lung health and regeneration after epithelial injury. In mice, damage to epithelial cells results in loss of homeostatic lung chitinase activity and accumulation of environmental chitin substrates; these disturbances impair epithelial renewal and drive activation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). ILC2s, in turn, restore chitinase activity by inducing acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) in regenerating epithelial cells, thereby promoting chitin degradation, epithelial differentiation, and inflammatory resolution. Mice lacking AMCase or ILC2s fail to clear airway chitin and exhibit exacerbated inflammation, impaired epithelial regeneration, and increased mortality following epithelial injury. These effects are ameliorated by chitinase replacement therapy or AMCase overexpression, demonstrating that chitin degradation is crucial for restoring lung homeostasis after perturbation. The ILC2-chitinase response circuit thus comprises a tissue adaptation to a widespread environmental constituent and may be a target for alleviating persistent post-injury lung epithelial and immune dysfunction.
Project description:The core of the Vibrio Harveyi clade contains V. harveyi, V. campbellii, V. owensii, V. jasicida, and V. rotiferianus. They are well recognized aquatic animal pathogens, but misclassification has been common due to similarities in their rDNA sequences and phenotypes. To better understand their evolutionary relationships and functional features, we sequenced a shrimp pathogen strain V. harveyi 1114GL, reclassified it as V. campbellii and compared this and 47 other sequenced Vibrio genomes in the Harveryi clade. A phylogeny based on 1,775 genes revealed that both V. owensii and V. jasicida were closer to V. campbellii than to V. harveyi and that V. campbellii strains can be divided into two distinct groups. Species-specific genes such as intimin and iron acquisition genes were identified in V. campbellii. In particular, the 1114GL strain contains two bacterial immunoglobulin-like genes for cell adhesion with 22 Big_2 domains that have been extensively reshuffled and are by far the most expanded among all species surveyed in this study. The 1114GL strain differed from ATCC BAA-1116 by ~9% at the synonymous sites, indicating high diversity within V. campbellii. Our study revealed the characteristics of V. campbellii in the Harveyi clade and the genetic basis for their wide-spread pathogenicity.
Project description:Vibrio campbellii is a marine bacterium that is associated with luminous vibriosis, especially in the hatchery and nursery stages of penaeid shrimp cultivation worldwide, which has led to low survival rates of shrimp during aquaculture. Phage therapy has been reported as an alternative biocontrol agent which can reduce or replace the use of antibiotics and other chemicals. This study characterized a lytic V. campbellii bacteriophage, OPA17, originally isolated from bloody clams and investigated its biocontrol efficacy against V. campbellii infection in a model system, Artemia franciscana. Phage OPA17 lysed 83.89% of V. campbellii strains tested (n = 118) with clear plaque morphology. Some strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus were also infected by phage OPA17. Transmission electron microscopy and genetic features indicated that OPA17 belongs to the Siphoviridae family. The latent period and burst size of OPA17 were approximately 50 min and 123 PFU/cell, respectively. Moreover, it survived in artificial seawater throughout the 2-month study period and effectively destroyed Vibrio campbellii biofilms after 4 h of incubation. The addition of OPA17 significantly increased the survival of A. franciscana nauplii infected with V. campbellii. The genome sequence of OPA17 showed that it does not carry genes unsuitable for phage therapy. The phylogenetic tree analysis showed that OPA17 was closely related to the V. vulnificus lytic phage SSP002 (98.90% similarity), which was previously reported as a potential biocontrol agent. Accordingly, the results of this study provide valuable information regarding the potential biocontrol application of phage OPA17 against V. campbellii. IMPORTANCE V. campbellii is an emerging luminous pathogen associated with vibriosis, especially in marine shrimp hatcheries. Several strategies, including pond management and use of natural antimicrobials and probiotics, have been studied for control of this organism. Phage therapy is considered one of the effective biocontrol strategies against bacterial infections in aquaculture. However, there has been limited study of V. campbellii bacteriophages. In this study, V. campbellii-specific bacteriophage OPA17 was isolated, characterized, and investigated for its biocontrol efficacy against V. campbellii infection in an Artemia nauplii model. Phage OPA17 belongs to the Siphoviridae family and shares significant genome similarity to phage SSP002, a potential biocontrol agent against V. vulnificus infection in a murine model. However, the host range of OPA17 was broader than that of SSP002. Overall, we discuss the potential of OPA17 for phage therapy application in shrimp hatcheries.