Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance and Efflux Pump Gene Expression in Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Isolates from South Africa by Quantitative Real-Time PCR and Regression Analysis

Mitchev, Nireshni; Singh, Ravesh; Ramsuran, Veron; Ismail, Arshad; Allam, Mushal; Kwenda, Stanford; Mnyameni, Florah; Garrett, Nigel; Swe-Han, Khine Swe; Niehaus, Abraham J.; Mlisana, Koleka

doi:10.1155/2022/7318325

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 60 publications

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“…The host-adapted human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae (also known as gonococcus) is the causative agent of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea [ 1 ]. The ongoing incidence of gonorrhea worldwide, coupled with growing antimicrobial resistance and using various approaches to avoid recognition by the human immune system [ 2 ], highlights the need to better understand the molecular basis of N. gonorrhoeae infection.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

pilE G-Quadruplex Is Recognized and Preferentially Bound but Not Processed by the MutL Endonuclease from Neisseria gonorrhoeae Mismatch Repair Pathway

Savitskaya

Strekalovskikh

Snyga

et al. 2023

IJMS

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The human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae uses a homologous recombination to undergo antigenic variation and avoid an immune response. The surface protein pilin (PilE) is one of the targets for antigenic variation that can be regulated by N. gonorrhoeae mismatch repair (MMR) and a G-quadruplex (G4) located upstream of the pilE promoter. Using bioinformatics tools, we found a correlation between pilE variability and deletion of DNA regions encoding ngMutS or ngMutL proteins, the main participants in N. gonorrhoeae methyl-independent MMR. To understand whether the G4 structure could affect the ngMutL-mediated regulation of pilin antigenic variation, we designed several synthetic pilE G4-containing oligonucleotides, differing in length, and related DNA duplexes. Using CD measurements and biochemical approaches, we have showed that (i) ngMutL preferentially binds to pilE G4 compared to DNA duplex, although the latter is a cognate substrate for ngMutL endonuclease, (ii) protein binding affinity decreases with shortening of quadruplex-containing and duplex ligands, (iii) the G4 structure inhibits ngMutL-induced DNA nicking and modulates cleavage positions; the enzyme does not cleave DNA within G4, but is able to bypass this noncanonical structure. Thus, pilE G4 may regulate the efficiency of pilin antigenic variation by quadruplex binding to ngMutL and suppression of homologous recombination.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

pilE G-Quadruplex Is Recognized and Preferentially Bound but Not Processed by the MutL Endonuclease from Neisseria gonorrhoeae Mismatch Repair Pathway

Savitskaya

Strekalovskikh

Snyga

et al. 2023

IJMS

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Identification of Anthocyanin Protein Targets in Neisseria gonorrhoeae through Virtual Molecular Docking and Protein Network Analysis

Nas

2024

Journal of Preventive, Diagnostic and Treatment Strategies in Medicine

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BACKGROUND: Anthocyanins are naturally occurring compounds recognized for their antioxidant properties and potential therapeutic effects. While previous studies have documented their antibacterial activity, their impact on Neisseria gonorrhoeae has not been explored. This study aims to identify the primary protein targets of anthocyanins in N. gonorrhoeae and assess the implications of these interactions within the broader protein network. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed molecular docking studies to evaluate the binding affinities of various anthocyanins to key N. gonorrhoeae proteins involved in metabolism, protein degradation, and DNA/RNA modification. In addition, we analyzed protein-protein interactions and gene co-occurrence patterns to elucidate the functional significance of the identified protein targets. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that anthocyanins exhibit high binding affinities for bamE, a protein crucial for maintaining structural integrity and facilitating protein assembly. Network analysis further demonstrates bamE’s integration into a complex protein network, revealing conserved functional relationships across bacterial species. Notably, while direct co-expression of bamE with other proteins was not observed in N. gonorrhoeae, similar patterns in related bacteria suggest conserved regulatory mechanisms. CONCLUSION: The results of this study underscore the potential of anthocyanins to modulate bacterial protein interactions, particularly with bamE, thereby opening avenues for therapeutic interventions against bacterial infections. Further research is essential to fully elucidate these interactions and their implications for bacterial physiology and treatment strategies.

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Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance and Efflux Pump Gene Expression in Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Isolates from South Africa by Quantitative Real-Time PCR and Regression Analysis

Cited by 2 publications

References 60 publications

pilE G-Quadruplex Is Recognized and Preferentially Bound but Not Processed by the MutL Endonuclease from Neisseria gonorrhoeae Mismatch Repair Pathway

pilE G-Quadruplex Is Recognized and Preferentially Bound but Not Processed by the MutL Endonuclease from Neisseria gonorrhoeae Mismatch Repair Pathway

Identification of Anthocyanin Protein Targets in Neisseria gonorrhoeae through Virtual Molecular Docking and Protein Network Analysis

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