Project description:The whooping cough agent, Bordetella pertussis, subverts dendritic cell (DCs) functions through powerful immunomodulatory activities of its toxins. Here we focused on the signaling action of the adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) that targets myeloid cells expressing the αMβ2 integrin CD11b/CD18 (known as complement receptor 3 (CR3) or Mac-1). CyaA delivers an extremely catalytically potent adenylyl cyclase enzyme domain into the cytosol of phagocytes and disrupts their innate and adaptive immune functions through unregulated production of the key signaling molecule cAMP. Here we describe the global phosphoproteomic analysis of cAMP signaling in murine bone marrow-derived DCs exposed to CyaA. Gathered data reveal toxin-triggered alternations of phosphorylation status of proteins regulating actin cytoskeleton, chromatin remodeling, mTOR activity and IL-10 gene expression. The reported findings highlight the complexity of subversive physiological manipulation that is exerted on myeloid phagocytes by the cAMP-generating adenylate cyclase toxin of Bordetellae.
Project description:Bordetella bronchiseptica is a gram-negative respiratory pathogen that causes a diverse spectrum of respiratory disease in a wide-range of hosts. We sought to determine if strains of B. bronchiseptica differed in virulence using the mouse model of infection. Mean lethal doses (LD50) of different B. bronchiseptica strains varied widely in the murine model. B. bronchiseptica strain 253 had a LD50 that was 10-fold lower than the prototypical and fully sequenced B. bronchiseptica strain RB50. Using whole genomic transcriptome analysis covering 100% of B. bronchisetpctica strain RB50ÃÂÃÂs predicted open reading frames (ORFs), 253 was identified as lacking expression of adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT).
Project description:Murine lung gene expression responses to primary and secondary infection with Bordetella pertussis. Data were compared to other parameters such as flow cytometry and multiplex immunoassays.
Project description:Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough is a severe respiratory disease caused by the bacterium, Bordetella pertussis. Despite widespread vaccination, pertussis resurgence has been observed globally. The development of the current acellular vaccine (ACV) has been based on planktonic studies. However, recent studies have shown that B. pertussis readily forms biofilms. A better understanding of B. pertussis biofilms is important for developing novel vaccines that can target all aspects of B. pertussis infection. This study compared the proteomic expression of biofilm and planktonic B. pertussis cells to identify key changes between the conditions. Major differences were identified in virulence factors including an upregulation of toxins (adenylate cyclase toxin and dermonecrotic toxin) and strong downregulation of pertactin and type III secretion system proteins in biofilm cells. To further dissect metabolic pathways that are altered during the biofilm lifestyle, the proteomic data was then incorporated into a genome scale metabolic model using the integrated metabolic analysis tool (iMAT). The analysis revealed that planktonic cells utilised the glyoxylate shunt while biofilm cells completed the full tricarboxylic acid cycle. Differences in processing aspartate, arginine and alanine were identified as well as unique export of valine out of biofilm cells which may have a role in inter-bacterial communication and regulation. Finally, increased polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation and superoxide dismutase activity in biofilm cells may contribute to increased persistence during infection. Taken together, this study modelled major proteomic and metabolic changes that occur in biofilm cells which helps lay the groundwork for further understanding B. pertussis pathogenesis.
Project description:Genome-wide expression analysis of mouse lung responses to Bordetella pertussis infection and the effects of pertussis toxin Total lung RNA from wild-type and pertussis toxin-defficient B. pertussis-infected mice at two and four days post inoculation compared to control, mock-infected mice. Seven-week old female BALB/c mice were intranasally inoculated with 1 x 106 CFU WT B. pertussis (Tohama I), 1 x 106 CFU ΔPT (WT carrying a PT deletion), or 30 x 106 CFU of the ΔPT strain. Whole lung tissue was collected from mice sacrificed at 2 and 4 days post inoculation (n = 3 per group per time point). Control mice were inoculated with PBS and sacrificed 2 days post inoculation (n = 2).
Project description:Murine gene expression responses to Bordetella pertussis were determined in lung and spleen, between 0 and 28 days post infection. Data were compared to other parameters such as microarray, flow cytometry, multiplex immunoassays, and lung clearance.
Project description:Pertussis is a highly contagious, acute respiratory disease in humans caused by the Gram-negative pathogen Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis has resurged in the face of intensive vaccination and this has coincided with the emergence of strains carrying a particular allele for the pertussis toxin promoter, ptxP3, which is associated with higher levels of pertussis toxin (Ptx) production. Within 10 to 20 years, ptxP3 strains have nearly completely replaced the previously dominant ptxP1 strains resulting in a worldwide selective sweep. In order to identify B. pertussis genes associated with the selective sweep, we compared the expression of genes in ptxP1 and ptxP3 strains that are under control of the Bordetella master virulence regulatory locus (bvgASR). The BvgAS proteins comprise a two component sensory transduction system which is regulated by temperature, nicotinic acid and sulfate. By increasing the sulfate concentration, it is possible to change the phase of B. pertussis from virulent to avirulent. Until recently, the only distinctive phenotype of ptxP3 strains was a higher Ptx production. Here we identify additional phenotypic differences between ptxP1 and ptxP3 strains which may have contributed to its global spread by comparing global transcriptional responses under sulfate-modulating conditions. We show that ptxP3 strains are less sensitive to sulfate-mediated gene suppression, resulting in an increased production of the vaccine antigens pertactin (Prn) and Ptx and a number of other virulence genes, including a type III secretion toxin, Vag8, a protein involved in complement resistance, and lpxE involved in lipid A modification. Furthermore, enhanced expression of the vaccine antigens Ptx and Prn by ptxP3 strains was confirmed at the protein level. Identification of genes differentially expressed between ptxP1 and ptxP3 strains may elucidate how B. pertussis has adapted to vaccination and allow the improvement of pertussis vaccines by identifying novel vaccine candidates.
Project description:This project was focused on transcriptome and secretome of pathogenic bacteria B. pertussis, which were cultivated on solid plates (charcoal agar) with/without blood and subsequently sub-cultured in liquid media. As a standard, Bordetella spp. strain are grown on agar plates supplemented with blood. The main aim of this project was to determine how the cells respond to blood exposure and how the blood treatment impacts on the gene expression profiles in cell inoculated from plates and subcultured in a blood-less medium. Gene expression profiles were analyzed by RNA-seq and proteins secreted by B. pertussis cells grown in liquid media were determined by LC-MS/MS technique. Our results indicate that B. pertussis cells exposed to blood secreted significantly higher amounts of several virulence factors including type III secretion system (T3SS), bifunctional hemolysin/adenylate cyclase CyaA and adhesin FhaS, compared to cells inoculated from plates without blood. Differences in secretion of T3SS needle complex, effector protein BopC and anti-sigma factor BtrA were at least an order of magnitude higher compared to the differences on the transcriptional level, suggesting that post-transcriptional regulation and/or regulation of the protein secretion plays an important role in modulating the function of T3SS in B. pertussis.
Project description:Bordetella bronchiseptica is a gram-negative respiratory pathogen that causes a diverse spectrum of respiratory disease in a wide-range of hosts. We sought to determine if strains of B. bronchiseptica differed in virulence using the mouse model of infection. Mean lethal doses (LD50) of different B. bronchiseptica strains varied widely in the murine model. B. bronchiseptica strain 253 had a LD50 that was 10-fold lower than the prototypical and fully sequenced B. bronchiseptica strain RB50. Using whole genomic transcriptome analysis covering 100% of B. bronchisetpctica strain RB50ÃÂs predicted open reading frames (ORFs), 253 was identified as lacking expression of adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT). Using whole genomic comparative genomic hybridization analysis and whole genome sequencing, we determined that the cya operon, which is required for ACT production, was absent from the 253 genome.