Complex regulatory networks of virulence factors in Vibrio vulnificus

Choi, Garam; Choi, Sang Ho

doi:10.1016/j.tim.2022.05.009

Cited by 27 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…Most of the bacteria have been reported to be zoonotic pathogens and to cause infections in humans, with the exception of Oceanbacillus sp. and Ruegeria sp., suggesting a potential fish-to-human bacterial transmission ( Savini et al, 2009 ; Bandeira Junior et al, 2018 ; Terceti et al, 2019 ; Yin et al, 2019 ; Cao et al, 2021 ; Enosi Tuipulotu et al, 2021 ; Ribeiro et al, 2021 ; Al-Eqabi et al, 2022 ; Alzahrani et al, 2022 ; Choi and Choi, 2022 ; Ionescu et al, 2022 ). Among these known pathogens in marine fish, one unreported bacterial strain in the marine-cultured fish L. crocea was characterized and named K. kristinae_LC .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new pathogenic isolate of Kocuria kristinae identified for the first time in the marine fish Larimichthys crocea

et al. 2023

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In recent years, new emerging pathogenic microorganisms have frequently appeared in animals, including marine fish, possibly due to climate change, anthropogenic activities, and even cross-species transmission of pathogenic microorganisms among animals or between animals and humans, which poses a serious issue for preventive medicine. In this study, a bacterium was clearly characterized among 64 isolates from the gills of diseased large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea that were raised in marine aquaculture. This strain was identified as K. kristinae by biochemical tests with a VITEK 2.0 analysis system and 16S rRNA sequencing and named K. kristinae_LC. The potential genes that might encode virulence-factors were widely screened through sequence analysis of the whole genome of K. kristinae_LC. Many genes involved in the two-component system and drug-resistance were also annotated. In addition, 104 unique genes in K. kristinae_LC were identified by pan genome analysis with the genomes of this strain from five different origins (woodpecker, medical resource, environment, and marine sponge reef) and the analysis results demonstrated that their predicted functions might be associated with adaptation to living conditions such as higher salinity, complex marine biomes, and low temperature. A significant difference in genomic organization was found among the K. kristinae strains that might be related to their hosts living in different environments. The animal regression test for this new bacterial isolate was carried out using L. crocea, and the results showed that this bacterium could cause the death of L. crocea and that the fish mortality was dose-dependent within 5 days post infection, indicating the pathogenicity of K. kristinae_LC to marine fish. Since K. kristinae has been reported as a pathogen for humans and bovines, in our study, we revealed a new isolate of K. kristinae_LC from marine fish for the first time, suggesting the potentiality of cross-species transmission among animals or from marine animals to humans, from which we would gain insight to help in future public prevention strategies for new emerging pathogens.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new pathogenic isolate of Kocuria kristinae identified for the first time in the marine fish Larimichthys crocea

et al. 2023

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“…Based on the results obtained both in vitro and ex vivo, mannitol proved to be the most promising compound, worth being tested in vivo in preclinical models. The relevant down-regulation exerted on genes encoding essential effectors like PlpA, VvpE, and RtxA (known to be expressed in low-glucose conditions, typical of the dissemination phase after intestinal invasion [ 32 ]), despite the upregulation of VvhA, makes hypothesize a relevant impairment of the virulence, reduced production of diffusible toxic molecules (whose effects persist even after bacterial inactivation), possibly resulting in overall improved clinical outcomes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In conclusion, the data herein reported show that some compounds (e.g., mannitol and glycerol) can strongly reduce the mRNA levels of several virulence genes, paving the way for further clinical development in antivirulence therapeutic protocols [ 32 ], though the actual effects on virulence have to be addressed, as well as the in vivo effectiveness. Further investigations shall unveil the mechanisms involved in the observed effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Targeting Virulence Genes Expression in Vibrio vulnificus by Alternative Carbon Sources

Nicosia

Salamone

Tagliavia

2022

IJMS

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Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic human pathogen causing self-limiting gastroenteritis, life-threatening necrotizing soft tissue infection, and fulminating septicaemia. An increasing rate of infections has been reported worldwide, characterized by sudden onset of sepsis and/or rapid progression to irreversible tissue damage or death. Timely intervention is essential to control the infection, and it is based on antibiotic therapy, which does not always result in the effective and rapid blocking of virulence. Inhibitors of essential virulence regulators have been reported in the last years, but none of them has been further developed, so far. We aimed to investigate whether exposure to some carbon compounds, mostly easily metabolizable, could result in transcriptional down-regulation of virulence genes. We screened various carbon sources already available for human use (thus potentially easy to be repurposed), finding some of them (including mannitol and glycerol) highly effective in down-regulating, in vitro and ex-vivo, the mRNA levels of several relevant -even essential- virulence factors (hlyU, lrp, rtxA, vvpE, vvhA, plpA, among others). This paves the way for further investigations aiming at their development as virulence inhibitors and to unveil mechanisms explaining such observed effects. Moreover, data suggesting the existence of additional regulatory networks of some virulence genes are reported.

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“…For example, in the early stages of infection in the upper intestine and bloodstream where glucose levels are high, IscR activates the up‐regulation of gbpA , prx3, and vvhA and CRP up‐regulates the rtxA for survival against stress, intestinal colonization, and dissemination through the host. In later stages of infection, CRP‐mediated up‐regulation of plpA , vvhA , and vvpE leads to inflammation and disease development (Choi & Choi, 2022 ). For V. parahaemolyticus , strains that carry thermostable direct hemolysin ( tdh ) and/or thermostable‐related hemolysin ( trh ) genes are often considered pathogenic (Nishibuchi et al., 1992 ; Shirai et al., 1990 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling pH and Temperature Effects as Climatic Hazards in Vibrio Vulnificus and Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Planktonic Growth and Biofilm Formation

et al. 2023

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Climate‐induced stressors, such as changes in temperature, salinity, and pH, contribute to the emergence of infectious diseases. These changes alter geographical constraint, resulting in increased Vibrio spread, exposure, and infection rates, thus facilitating greater Vibrio ‐human interactions. Multiple efforts have been developed to predict Vibrio exposure and raise awareness of health risks, but most models only use temperature and salinity as prediction factors. This study aimed to better understand the potential effects of temperature and pH on V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus planktonic and biofilm growth. Vibrio strains were grown in triplicate at 25°, 30°, and 37°C in 96 well plates containing Modified Seawater Yeast Extract modified with CaCl 2 at pH's ranging from 5 to 9.6. AMiGA software was used to model growth curves using Gaussian process regression. The effects of temperature and pH were evaluated using randomized complete block analysis of variance, and the growth rates of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus were modeled using the interpolation fit on the MatLab Curve Fitting Toolbox. Different optimal conditions involving temperature and pH were observed for planktonic and biofilm Vibrio growth within‐ and between‐species. This study showed that temperature and pH factors significantly affect Vibrio planktonic growth rates and V. parahaemolyticus biofilm formation. Therefore, pH effects must be added to the Vibrio growth modeling efforts to better predict Vibrio risk in estuarine and coastal zones that can potentially experience the cooccurrence of Vibrio and harmful algal bloom outbreak events.

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Complex regulatory networks of virulence factors in Vibrio vulnificus

Cited by 27 publications

References 94 publications

A new pathogenic isolate of Kocuria kristinae identified for the first time in the marine fish Larimichthys crocea

A new pathogenic isolate of Kocuria kristinae identified for the first time in the marine fish Larimichthys crocea

Targeting Virulence Genes Expression in Vibrio vulnificus by Alternative Carbon Sources

Modeling pH and Temperature Effects as Climatic Hazards in Vibrio Vulnificus and Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Planktonic Growth and Biofilm Formation

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