1.
Durcik, Martina, et al.
(författare)
New Dual Inhibitors of Bacterial Topoisomerases with Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity and In Vivo Efficacy against Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus
2023
Ingår i: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0022-2623 .- 1520-4804. ; 66:6, s. 3968-3994
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
A new series of dual low nanomolar benzothiazole inhibitors of bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV were developed. The resulting compounds show excellent broad-spectrum antibacterial activities against Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium and multidrug resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus strains [best compound minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs): range, <0.03125–0.25 μg/mL] and against the Gram-negatives Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae (best compound MICs: range, 1–4 μg/mL). Lead compound 7a was identified with favorable solubility and plasma protein binding, good metabolic stability, selectivity for bacterial topoisomerases, and no toxicity issues. The crystal structure of 7a in complex with Pseudomonas aeruginosa GyrB24 revealed its binding mode at the ATP-binding site. Expanded profiling of 7a and 7h showed potent antibacterial activity against over 100 MDR and non-MDR strains of A. baumannii and several other Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. Ultimately, in vivo efficacy of 7a in a mouse model of vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus thigh infection was also demonstrated.
2.
Pietsch, Franziska, et al.
(författare)
Ciprofloxacin selects for RNA polymerase mutations with pleiotropic antibiotic resistance effects
2017
Ingår i: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. - : Oxford University Press. - 0305-7453 .- 1460-2091. ; 72:1, s. 75-84
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
ObjectivesResistance to the fluoroquinolone drug ciprofloxacin is commonly linked to mutations that alter the drug target or increase drug efflux via the major AcrAB-TolC transporter. Very little is known about other mutations that might also reduce susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. We discovered that an Escherichia coli strain experimentally evolved for resistance to ciprofloxacin had acquired a mutation in rpoB, the gene coding for the β-subunit of RNA polymerase. The aim of this work was to determine whether this mutation, and other mutations in rpoB, contribute to ciprofloxacin resistance and, if so, by which mechanism.MethodsIndependent lineages of E. coli were evolved in the presence of ciprofloxacin and clones from endpoint cultures were screened for mutations in rpoB. Ciprofloxacin-selected rpoB mutations were identified and characterized in terms of effects on susceptibility and mode of action.ResultsMutations in rpoB were selected at a high frequency in 3 out of 10 evolved lineages, in each case arising after the occurrence of mutations affecting topoisomerases and drug efflux. All ciprofloxacin-selected rpoB mutations had a high fitness cost in the absence of drug, but conferred a competitive advantage in the presence of ciprofloxacin. RNA sequencing and quantitative RT–PCR analysis showed that expression of mdtK, encoding a multidrug efflux transporter, was significantly increased by the ciprofloxacin-selected rpoB mutations. The susceptibility phenotype was shown to depend on the presence of an active mdtK and a mutant rpoB allele.ConclusionsThese data identify mutations in RNA polymerase as novel contributors to the evolution of resistance to ciprofloxacin and show that the phenotype is mediated by increased MdtK-dependent drug efflux.
3.
Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
Comprehensive phenotypic characterization of rifampicin resistance mutations in Salmonella provides insight into the evolution of resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
2015
Ingår i: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. - : Oxford University Press. - 0305-7453 .- 1460-2091. ; 70:3, s. 680-685
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
ObjectivesMutations in the β-subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP), encoded by rpoB, are responsible for rifampicin resistance (RifR). Although many mutations in rpoB can reduce susceptibility, only a few are frequent amongst RifR clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates. It has been suggested that there is a negative correlation between the fitness costs of RifR mutations and their respective clinical frequency, but so far comparable fitness cost measurements have only been conducted for a very limited number of RifR mutations. We tested this hypothesis using Salmonella and Mycobacterium smegmatis as model organisms.MethodsWe constructed 122 different RifR mutations in Salmonella. MICs and relative fitness costs in the presence and absence of rifampicin were determined for each mutant, including for a smaller number of RifRM. smegmatis strains. Results were compared with available mutation frequency data from clinical MTB isolates.Results(i) RifR mutations frequently found in MTB isolates have a fitness cost in Salmonella Typhimurium and M. smegmatis. (ii) Clinically frequent RifR mutations have a high rifampicin MIC. (iii) There is a strong correlation between the magnitude of the fitness cost of a RifR mutation in Salmonella Typhimurium or M. smegmatis and the frequency with which that mutation is associated with secondary (putative compensatory) mutations in RNAP of clinical MTB isolates.ConclusionsThis suggests that the success of RifR mutations in clinical MTB isolates may be dependent not only on a low initial fitness cost, but rather the results of three factors: (i) a high rifampicin MIC; (ii) a relatively low initial fitness cost; and (iii) the ability to additionally acquire compensatory mutations selected to further reduce fitness cost.
4.
Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
Autoregulation of the tufB operon in Salmonella
2016
Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 100:6, s. 1004-1016
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
In Salmonella enterica and related species, translation elongation factor EF-Tu is encoded by two widely separated but near-identical genes, tufA and tufB. Two thirds of EF-Tu is expressed from tufA with the remaining one third coming from tufB. Inactivation of tufA is partly compensated by a doubling in the amount of EF-TuB but the mechanism of this up-regulation is unknown. By experimental evolution selecting for improved growth rate in a strain with an inactive tufA we selected six different noncoding or synonymous point mutations close to the tufB start codon. Based on these results we constructed a total of 161 different point mutations around the tufB start codon, as well as tufB 3′-truncations, and measured tufB expression using tufB-yfp transcriptional and translational fusions. The expression data support the presence of two competing stem-loop structures that can form in the 5′-end of the tufB mRNA. Formation of the ‘closed’ structure leads to Rho-dependent transcriptional termination of the tufB mRNA. We propose a model in which translational speed is used as a sensor for EF-Tu concentration and where the expression of tufB is post-transcriptionally regulated. This model describes for the first time how expression of the most abundant Salmonella protein is autoregulated.
5.
Andersson, Dan I., et al.
(författare)
Antibiotic resistance and its cost : is it possible to reverse resistance?
2010
Ingår i: Nature Reviews Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1740-1526 .- 1740-1534. ; 8:4, s. 260-271
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat) abstract
Most antibiotic resistance mechanisms are associated with a fitness cost that is typically observed as a reduced bacterial growth rate. The magnitude of this cost is the main biological parameter that influences the rate of development of resistance, the stability of the resistance and the rate at which the resistance might decrease if antibiotic use were reduced. These findings suggest that the fitness costs of resistance will allow susceptible bacteria to outcompete resistant bacteria if the selective pressure from antibiotics is reduced. Unfortunately, the available data suggest that the rate of reversibility will be slow at the community level. Here, we review the factors that influence the fitness costs of antibiotic resistance, the ways by which bacteria can reduce these costs and the possibility of exploiting them.
6.
Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
Fitness-compensatory mutations in rifampicin-resistant RNA polymerase
2012
Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 85:1, s. 142-151
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Mutations in rpoB (RNA polymerase β-subunit) can cause high-level resistance to rifampicin, an important first-line drug against tuberculosis. Most rifampicin-resistant (RifR) mutants selected in vitro have reduced fitness, and resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis frequently carry multiple mutations in RNA polymerase genes. This supports a role for compensatory evolution in global epidemics of drug-resistant tuberculosis but the significance of secondary mutations outside rpoB has not been demonstrated or quantified. Using Salmonella as a model organism, and a previously characterized RifR mutation (rpoB R529C) as a starting point, independent lineages were evolved with selection for improved growth in the presence and absence of rifampicin. Compensatory mutations were identified in every lineage and were distributed between rpoA, rpoB and rpoC. Resistance was maintained in all strains showing that increased fitness by compensatory mutation was more likely than reversion. Genetic reconstructions demonstrated that the secondary mutations were responsible for increasing growth rate. Many of the compensatory mutations in rpoA and rpoC individually caused small but significant reductions in susceptibility to rifampicin, and some compensatory mutations in rpoB individually caused high-level resistance. These findings show that mutations in different components of RNA polymerase are responsible for fitness compensation of a RifR mutant.
7.
Praski Alzrigat, Lisa, et al.
(författare)
Fitness cost constrains the spectrum of marR mutations in ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli : Multiple Antibiotic-Resistance, Gram-Negative Bacteria, Multidrug Efflux Pump, Urinary-Tract-Infections, Fluoroquinolone Resistance, Quinolone Resistance, Mechanisms, Expression, Sequence, Soxs
2017
Ingår i: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0305-7453 .- 1460-2091. ; 2:11, s. 3016-3024
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Objectives: To determine whether the spectrum of mutations in marR in ciprofloxacin-resistant clinical isolates of Escherichia coli shows evidence of selection bias, either to reduce fitness costs, or to increase drug resistance. MarR is a repressor protein that regulates, via MarA, expression of the Mar regulon, including the multidrug efflux pump AcrAB-TolC. Methods: Isogenic strains carrying 36 different marR alleles identified in resistant clinical isolates, or selected for resistance in vitro, were constructed. Drug susceptibility and relative fitness in growth competition assays were measured for all strains. The expression level of marA, and of various efflux pump components, as a function of specific mutations in marR, was measured by qPCR. Results: The spectrum of genetic alterations in marR in clinical isolates is strongly biased against inactivating mutations. In general, the alleles found in clinical isolates conferred a lower level of resistance and imposed a lower growth fitness cost than mutations selected in vitro. The level of expression of MarA correlated well with the MIC of ciprofloxacin. This supports the functional connection between mutations in marR and reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. Conclusions: Mutations in marR selected in ciprofloxacin-resistant clinical isolates are strongly biased against inactivating mutations. Selection favours mutant alleles that have the lowest fitness costs, even though these cause only modest reductions in drug susceptibility. This suggests that selection for high relative fitness is more important than selection for increased resistance in determining which alleles of marR will be selected in resistant clinical isolates.
8.
Johanson, Urban, et al.
(författare)
Comparison of the complete sequence of the str operon in Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli
1992
Ingår i: Gene. - 0378-1119 .- 1879-0038. ; 120:1, s. 93-98
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The nucleotide (nt) sequences of the str operon in Escherichia coli K-12 and Salmonella typhimurium LT2 were completed and compared at the nt and amino acid (aa) level. The order of conservation at the nt and aa level is rpsL greater than tufA greater than rpsG greater than f usA. A striking difference is that the rpsG-encoded ribosomal protein, S7, in E. coli K-12 is 23 aa longer than in S. typhimurium. The very low (0.18) codon adaptation index of this part of the E. coli K-12-encoding gene and the unusual stop codon (UGA) suggest that this is a relatively recent extension. A trend towards a higher G+C content in fusA (gene encoding elongation factor (EF)-G) and tufA (gene encoding EF-Tu) in S. typhimurium is noted. In fusA, nt substitutions at all three positions in a codon occur at a much higher frequency than expected from the number of nt substitutions in the gene, assuming they are random and independent events. An analysis of substitutions in this and other genes suggests that the triple substitutions in fusA, and some other genes, are the result of the sequential accumulation of individual mutations, probably driven by selection pressure for particular codons or aa.
9.
Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
Co-evolution with recombination affects the stability of mobile genetic element insertions within gene families of Salmonella
2018
Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : WILEY. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 108:6, s. 697-710
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Bacteria can have multiple copies of a gene at separate locations on the same chromosome. Some of these gene families, including tuf (translation elongation factor EF-Tu) and rrl (ribosomal RNA), encode functions critically important for bacterial fitness. Genes within these families are known to evolve in concert using homologous recombination to transfer genetic information from one gene to another. This mechanism can counteract the detrimental effects of nucleotide sequence divergence over time. Whether such mechanisms can also protect against the potentially lethal effects of mobile genetic element insertion is not well understood. To address this we constructed two different length insertion cassettes to mimic mobile genetic elements and inserted these into various positions of the tuf and rrl genes. Wemeasured rates of recombinational repair that removed the inserted cassette and studied the underlying mechanism. Our results indicate that homologous recombination can protect the tuf and rrl genes from inactivation by mobile genetic elements, but forinsertions within shorter gene sequences the efficiency of repair is very low. Intriguingly, we found that physical distance separating genes on the chromosome directly affects the rate of recombinational repair suggesting that relative location will influence the ability of homologous recombination to maintain homogeneity.
10.
Johanson, U, et al.
(författare)
Fusidic acid-resistant mutants define three regions in elongation factor G of Salmonella typhimurium
1994
Ingår i: Gene. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1119 .- 1879-0038. ; 143:1, s. 9-55
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
We have sequenced fusA, the gene coding for elongation factor G (EF-G), in 18 different mutants of Salmonella typhimurium selected as fusidic acid resistant (FuR). In addition, we have sequenced two previously described FuR mutants from Escherichia coli. In all cases, the resistance is due to a mutation in one of three separate regions in fusA. The three clusters of mutant sites superimpose on regions that are well conserved, suggesting that they are of a more general functional importance. To further classify the mutants, we have measured the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Fu and for two other antibiotics which interfere with translocation on the ribosome, kanamycin (Km) and spectinomycin (Sp). The levels of resistance to Fu for each of the mutants are significantly higher than in the wild type (wt), and vary by about one order of magnitude between the highest and the lowest. Most of the mutants are also more resistant to Km than the wt, although the level of resistance is low and the variation small. In contrast, about half of the mutants are more sensitive to Sp than the wt, with only one being more resistant. Only three of the twenty mutants behave like the wt with respect to the non-selected phenotypes, KmR and SpR.
