Microbial Physiology最新文献

{"title":"Secondary Metabolites Governing Microbiome Interaction of Staphylococcal Pathogens and Commensals.","authors":"Benjamin O Torres Salazar,&nbsp;Simon Heilbronner,&nbsp;Andreas Peschel,&nbsp;Bernhard Krismer","doi":"10.1159/000517082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000517082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Various Staphylococcus species colonize skin and upper airways of warm-blooded animals. They compete successfully with many other microorganisms under the hostile and nutrient-poor conditions of these habitats using mechanisms that we are only beginning to appreciate. Small-molecule mediators, whose biosynthesis requires complex enzymatic cascades, so-called secondary metabolites, have emerged as crucial components of staphylococcal microbiome interactions. Such mediators belong to a large variety of compound classes and several of them have attractive properties for future drug development. They include, for instance, bacteriocins such as lanthipeptides, thiopeptides, and fibupeptides that inhibit bacterial competitor species; signaling molecules such as thiolactone peptides that induce or inhibit sensory cascades in other bacteria; or metallophores such as staphyloferrins and staphylopine that scavenge scant transition metal ions. For some secondary metabolites such as the aureusimines, the exact function remains to be elucidated. How secondary metabolites shape the fitness of Staphylococcus species in the complex context of other microbial and host defense factors remains a challenging field of future research. A detailed understanding will help to harness staphylococcal secondary metabolites for excluding the pathogenic species Staphylococcus aureus from the nasal microbiomes of at-risk patients, and it will be instrumental for the development of advanced anti-infective interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39256901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"5-Deoxyadenosine Metabolism: More than \"Waste Disposal\".","authors":"Johanna Rapp,&nbsp;Karl Forchhammer","doi":"10.1159/000516105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000516105","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>5-Deoxyadenosine (5dAdo) is a by-product of many radical SAM enzyme reactions in all domains of life, and an inhibitor of the radical SAM enzymes themselves. Hence, pathways to recycle or dispose of this toxic by-product must exist but remain largely unexplored. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge about canonical and atypical 5dAdo salvage pathways that have been characterized in the last years. We highlight studies that report on how, in certain organisms, the salvage of 5dAdo via specific pathways can confer a growth advantage by providing either intermediates for the synthesis of secondary metabolites or a carbon source for the synthesis of metabolites of the central carbon metabolism. Yet, an alternative recycling route exists in organisms that use 5dAdo as a substrate to synthesize and excrete 7-deoxysedoheptulose, an allelopathic inhibitor of one enzyme of the shikimate pathway, thereby competing for their own niche. Remarkably, most steps of 5dAdo salvage are the result of the activity of promiscuous enzymes. This strategy enables even organisms with a small genome to synthesize bioactive compounds which they can deploy under certain conditions to gain a competitive growth advantage. We conclude emphasizing that, unexpectedly, 5dAdo salvage pathways seem not to be ubiquitously present, raising questions about the fate of such a toxic by-product in those species. This observation also suggests that additional 5dAdo salvage pathways, possibly relying on the activity of promiscuous enzymes, may exist. The future challenge will be to bring to light these \"cryptic\" 5dAdo recycling pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000516105","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39094375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of hlb-Converting Bacteriophages in Staphylococcus aureus Host Adaption.","authors":"Carina Rohmer,&nbsp;Christiane Wolz","doi":"10.1159/000516645","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000516645","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As an opportunistic pathogen of humans and animals, Staphylococcus aureus asymptomatically colonizes the nasal cavity but is also a leading cause of life-threatening acute and chronic infections. The evolution of S. aureus resulting from short- and long-term adaptation to diverse hosts is tightly associated with mobile genetic elements. S. aureus strains can carry up to four temperate phages, many of which possess accessory genes encoding staphylococcal virulence factors. More than 90% of human nasal isolates of S. aureus have been shown to carry Sa3int phages, whereas invasive S. aureus isolates tend to lose these phages. Sa3int phages integrate as prophages into the bacterial hlb gene, disrupting the expression of the sphingomyelinase Hlb, an important virulence factor under specific infection conditions. Virulence factors encoded by genes carried by Sa3int phages include staphylokinase, enterotoxins, chemotaxis-inhibitory protein, and staphylococcal complement inhibitor, all of which are highly human specific and probably essential for bacterial survival in the human host. The transmission of S. aureus from humans to animals is strongly correlated with the loss of Sa3int phages, whereas phages are regained once a strain is transmitted from animals to humans. Thus, both the insertion and excision of prophages may confer a fitness advantage to this bacterium. There is also growing evidence that Sa3int phages may perform \"active lysogeny,\" a process during which prophages are temporally excised from the chromosome without forming intact phage particles. The molecular mechanisms controlling the peculiar life cycle of Sa3int phages remain largely unclear. Nevertheless, their regulation is likely fine-tuned to ensure bacterial survival within different hosts.</p>","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000516645","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39112358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chitin, Chitin Oligosaccharide, and Chitin Disaccharide Metabolism of Escherichia coli Revisited: Reassignment of the Roles of ChiA, ChbR, ChbF, and ChbG.","authors":"Axel Walter,&nbsp;Simon Friz,&nbsp;Christoph Mayer","doi":"10.1159/000515178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000515178","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Escherichia coli is unable to grow on polymeric and oligomeric chitin, but grows on chitin disaccharide (GlcNAc-GlcNAc; N,N'-diacetylchitobiose) and chitin trisaccharide (GlcNAc-GlcNAc-GlcNAc; N,N',N''-triacetylchitotriose) via expression of the chb operon (chbBCARFG). The phosphotransferase system (PTS) transporter ChbBCA facilitates transport of both saccharides across the inner membrane and their concomitant phosphorylation at the non-reducing end, intracellularly yielding GlcNAc 6-phosphate-GlcNAc (GlcNAc6P-GlcNAc) and GlcNAc6P-GlcNAc-GlcNAc, respectively. We revisited the intracellular catabolism of the PTS products, thereby correcting the reported functions of the 6-phospho-glycosidase ChbF, the monodeacetylase ChbG, and the transcriptional regulator ChbR. Intracellular accumulation of glucosamine 6P-GlcNAc (GlcN6P-GlcNAc) and GlcN6P-GlcNAc-GlcNAc in a chbF mutant unraveled a role for ChbG as a monodeacetylase that removes the N-acetyl group at the non-reducing end. Consequently, GlcN6P- but not GlcNAc6P-containing saccharides likely function as coactivators of ChbR. Furthermore, ChbF removed the GlcN6P from the non-reducing terminus of the former saccharides, thereby degrading the inducers of the chb operon and facilitating growth on the saccharides. Consequently, ChbF was unable to hydrolyze GlcNAc6P-residues from the non-reducing end, contrary to previous assumptions but in agreement with structural modeling data and with the unusual catalytic mechanism of the family 4 of glycosidases, to which ChbF belongs. We also refuted the assumption that ChiA is a bifunctional endochitinase/lysozyme ChiA, and show that it is unable to degrade peptidoglycans but acts as a bona fide chitinase in vitro and in vivo, enabling growth of E. coli on chitin oligosaccharides when ectopically expressed. Overall, this study revises our understanding of the chitin, chitin oligosaccharide, and chitin disaccharide metabolism of E. coli.</p>","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000515178","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25539207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Genetics of Prey Susceptibility to Myxobacterial Predation: A Review, Including an Investigation into Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mutations Affecting Predation by Myxococcus xanthus.","authors":"Natashia Sydney,&nbsp;Martin T Swain,&nbsp;Jeffery M T So,&nbsp;Egbert Hoiczyk,&nbsp;Nicholas P Tucker,&nbsp;David E Whitworth","doi":"10.1159/000515546","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000515546","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacterial predation is a ubiquitous and fundamental biological process, which influences the community composition of microbial ecosystems. Among the best characterised bacterial predators are the myxobacteria, which include the model organism Myxococcus xanthus. Predation by M. xanthus involves the secretion of antibiotic metabolites and hydrolytic enzymes, which results in the lysis of prey organisms and release of prey nutrients into the extracellular milieu. Due to the generalist nature of this predatory mechanism, M. xanthus has a broad prey range, being able to kill and consume Gram-negative/positive bacteria and fungi. Potential prey organisms have evolved a range of behaviours which protect themselves from attack by predators. In recent years, several investigations have studied the molecular responses of a broad variety of prey organisms to M. xanthus predation. It seems that the diverse mechanisms employed by prey belong to a much smaller number of general \"predation resistance\" strategies. In this mini-review, we present the current state of knowledge regarding M. xanthus predation, and how prey organisms resist predation. As previous molecular studies of prey susceptibility have focussed on individual genes/metabolites, we have also undertaken a genome-wide screen for genes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which contribute to its ability to resist predation. P. aeruginosa is a World Health Organisation priority 1 antibiotic-resistant pathogen. It is metabolically versatile and has an array of pathogenic mechanisms, leading to its prevalence as an opportunistic pathogen. Using a library of nearly 5,500 defined transposon insertion mutants, we screened for \"prey genes\", which when mutated allowed increased predation by a fluorescent strain of M. xanthus. A set of candidate \"prey proteins\" were identified, which shared common functional roles and whose nature suggested that predation resistance by P. aeruginosa requires an effective metal/oxidative stress system, an intact motility system, and mechanisms for de-toxifying antimicrobial peptides.</p>","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000515546","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25539211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial for Article Collection on \"Bacterial Survival Strategies\".","authors":"Karl Forchhammer","doi":"10.1159/000517629","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000517629","url":null,"abstract":"The question of how bacteria cope with harmful conditions and which strategies they employ to maintain viability in unfavorable environments represents one of the most fundamental issues in microbiology. In an ideal environment, where substrates and nutrients are abundantly available and metabolic end-products are constantly removed, bacterial populations grow exponentially. Research in classical microbial physiology has for long focused on deciphering cellular processes during this phase of a bacterial life. However, in most natural environments, bacteria face – at least temporarily – adverse conditions, which limit their growth or where the viability of bacteria is challenged. Abiotic conditions stressing viability could be severe lack of essential nutrients, the presence of toxic compounds or unfavorable physicochemical environmental conditions. Moreover, the surrounding organisms challenge bacterial survival as predators or competitors for resources and niche occupation. Bacteria have been subjected to these selective pressures during their entire evolution. As a result, they acquired elaborate strategies that allow them to cope with such challenges. Thus, bacterial survival strategies are fundamental to understand key aspects of bacterial behavior, from the long-term survival of nutrient-starved cyanobacteria and their stunning recovery capabilities to the strategies of pathogenic bacteria to survive and resist host defense or to withstand competing microorganisms. We can assume that the survival strategies of bacteria are based on fundamental principles acquired early in evolution and therefore common in most bacteria, as well as on lifestyle specific and highly adapted programs, acquired during niche evolution of the various bacterial genera. These manifold survival strategies are essential to successfully compete in the various ecological niches and to colonize new habitats and hosts. Therefore, this topic is of greatest relevance for bacterial ecology and physiology, for the spread of bacterial pathogens, and for the development of antibacterial compounds and, hence, it is a central area of microbiological research. Nine years ago, the DFG-funded research training group “Molecular Principles of Bacterial Survival Strategies” (RTG1708) was initiated at the University of Tübingen with the aim to elucidate fundamental and niche specific principles of bacterial survival strategies in an interdisciplinary research group, by combining the expertise of research teams with a strong background in molecular physiology, genetics, chemical analytics, environmental microbiology or medical microbiology. On the occasion of the end of the RTG1708 program, a final symposium on “bacterial survival strategies” was organized from October 7 to 9, 2020, together with invited international guests included via remote video access. The present article collection on bacterial survival strategies includes both primary research papers as well as review articles fro","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000517629","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39129603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bacterial Predation on Cyanobacteria.","authors":"Antje Bauer,&nbsp;Karl Forchhammer","doi":"10.1159/000516427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000516427","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Predatory bacteria gained interest in the last 20 years. Nevertheless, only a few species are well characterized. The endobiotic predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus invades its prey to consume it from the inside, whereas Myxococcus xanthus hunts as a whole group to overcome its prey. Both species were described to prey on cyanobacteria as well. This minireview summarizes the findings of the last 20 years of predatory bacteria of cyanobacteria and is supplemented by new findings from a screening experiment for bacterial predators of the model organism Anabaena variabilis PCC 7937. Known predatory bacteria of cyanobacteria belong to the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes and follow different hunting strategies. The underlying mechanisms are in most cases not known in much detail. Isolates from the screening experiment were clustered after predation behaviour and analyzed with respect to their size. The effect of predation in high nitrate levels and the occurrence of nitrogen-fixing cells, called heterocysts, are addressed.</p>","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000516427","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39011404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Complete Genomes of the Anaerobic Degradation Specialists Aromatoleum petrolei ToN1T and Aromatoleum bremense PbN1T.","authors":"Arne Weiten,&nbsp;Kristin Kalvelage,&nbsp;Patrick Becker,&nbsp;Richard Reinhardt,&nbsp;Thomas Hurek,&nbsp;Barbara Reinhold-Hurek,&nbsp;Ralf Rabus","doi":"10.1159/000513167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000513167","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The betaproteobacterial genus Aromatoleum comprises facultative denitrifiers specialized in the anaerobic degradation of recalcitrant organic compounds (aromatic and terpenoid). This study reports on the complete and manually annotated genomes of Ar. petrolei ToN1T (5.41 Mbp) and Ar. bremense PbN1T (4.38 Mbp), which cover the phylogenetic breadth of the genus Aromatoleum together with previously genome sequenced Ar. aromaticum EbN1T [Rabus et al., Arch Microbiol. 2005 Jan;183(1):27-36]. The gene clusters for the anaerobic degradation of aromatic and terpenoid (strain ToN1T only) compounds are scattered across the genomes of strains ToN1T and PbN1T. The richness in mobile genetic elements is shared with other Aromatoleum spp., substantiating that horizontal gene transfer should have been a major driver in shaping the genomes of this genus. The composite catabolic network of strains ToN1T and PbN1T comprises 88 proteins, the coding genes of which occupy 86.1 and 76.4 kbp (1.59 and 1.75%) of the respective genome. The strain-specific gene clusters for anaerobic degradation of ethyl-/propylbenzene (strain PbN1T) and toluene/monoterpenes (strain ToN1T) share high similarity with their counterparts in Ar. aromaticum strains EbN1T and pCyN1, respectively. Glucose is degraded via the ED-pathway in strain ToN1T, while gluconeogenesis proceeds via the reverse EMP-pathway in strains ToN1T, PbN1T, and EbN1T. The diazotrophic, endophytic lifestyle of closest related genus Azoarcus is known to be associated with nitrogenase and type-6 secretion system (T6SS). By contrast, strains ToN1T, PbN1T, and EbN1T lack nif genes for nitrogenase (including cofactor synthesis and enzyme maturation). Moreover, strains PbN1T and EbN1T do not possess tss genes for T6SS, while strain ToN1T does and facultative endophytic \"Aromatoleum\" sp. CIB is known to even have both. These findings underpin the functional heterogeneity among Aromatoleum members, correlating with the high plasticity of their genomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000513167","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38844564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contents Vol. 30, 2020","authors":"L. Reddy, V. S. Reddy","doi":"10.1159/000512938","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000512938","url":null,"abstract":"Melissa H. Brown – Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia Guillermo Gosset Lagarda – Univ. Nacional Autónoma México, Cuernavaca, Mexico Peter Graumann – LOEWE-Zentrum für Synthetische Mikrobiologie, Marburg, Germany Ian Paulsen – Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia R.Gary Sawers – Martin Luther Universität, Halle/Saale, Germany Yunde Zhao – University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2020-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000512938","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49201236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Front & Back Matter","authors":"","doi":"10.1159/000513478","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000513478","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18457,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2020-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48058136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}