| 1. |
- Abdulkarim, Farhad, et al.
(författare)
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Homologous recombination between the tuf genes of Salmonella typhimurium
- 1996
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 260:4, s. 506-522
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The genes coding for the translation factor EF-Tu, tufA and tufB are separated by over 700 kb on the circular chromosome of Salmonella typhimurium. The coding regions of these genes have 99% identity at the nucleotide level in spite of the presumed ancient origin of the gene duplication. Sequence comparisons between S. typhimurium and Escherichiacoli suggest that within each species the two tuf genes are evolving inconcert. Here we show that each of the S. typhimurium tuf genes cantransfer genetic information to the other. In our genetic system thetransfers are seen as non-reciprocal, i.e. as gene conversion events.However, the mechanism of recombination could be reciprocal, with sisterchromosome segregation and selection leading to the isolation of aparticular class of recombinant. The amount of sequence informationtransferred in individual recombination events varies, but can be close tothe entire length of the gene. The recombination is RecABCD-dependent,and is opposed by MutSHLU mismatch repair. In the wild-type, this typeof recombination occurs at a rate that is two or three orders of magnitudegreater than the nucleotide substitution rate. The rate of recombinationdiffers by six orders of magnitude between a recA and a mutS strain.Mismatch repair reduces the rate of this recombination 1000-fold. The rateof recombination also differs by one order of magnitude depending onwhich tuf gene is donating the sequence selected for. We discuss threeclasses of model that could, in principle, account for the sequencetransfers: (1) tuf mRNA mediated recombination; (2) non-allelic reciprocalrecombination involving sister chromosomes; (3) non-allelic geneconversion involving sister chromosomes, initiated by a double-strandbreak close to one tuf gene. Although the mechanism remains to bedetermined, the effect on the bacterial cells is tuf gene sequencehomogenisation. This recombination phenomenon can account for theconcerted evolution of the tuf genes.
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| 2. |
- Abdulkarim, Farhad, et al.
(författare)
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Missense substitutions lethal to essential functions of EF-Tu
- 1991
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Ingår i: Biochimie. - : Elsevier BV. - 0300-9084 .- 1638-6183. ; 73:12, s. 1457-1464
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have used a simple selection and screening method to isolate function defective mutants of EF-Tu. From 28 mutants tested, 12 different missense substitutions, individually lethal to some essential function of EF-Tu, were identified by sequencing. In addition we found a new non-lethal missense mutation. The frequency of isolation of unique mutations suggests that this method can be used to easily isolate many more. The lethal mutations occur in all three structural domains of EF-Tu, but most are in domain II. We aim to use these mutants to define functional domains on EF-Tu.
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| 3. |
- Abdulkarim, Farhad, et al.
(författare)
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Mutants of EF-Tu defective in binding aminoacyl-tRNA
- 1996
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Ingår i: FEBS Letters. - : Wiley. - 0014-5793 .- 1873-3468. ; 382:3, s. 297-303
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Five single amino acid substitution variants of EF-Tu from Salmonella typhimurium were tested for their ability to promote poly(U)-translation in vitro. The substitutions are Leu120Gln, Gln124Arg and Tyr160 (Asp or Asn or Cys). They were selected by their kirromycin resistant phenotypes and all substitutions are in domain I at the interface between domains I and III of the EF-Tu · GTP configuration. The different EF-Tu variants exhibit a spectrum of phenotypes. First, k(cat)/K(M) for the interaction between ternary complex and the programmed ribosome is apparently reduced by the substitutions Leu120Gln, Gln124Arg and Tyr160Cys. Second, this reduction is caused by a defect in the interaction between these EF-Tu variants and aminoacyl-tRNA during translation. Third, in four cases out of five the affinity of the complex between EF-Tu · GTP and aminoacyl-tRNA is significantly decreased. The most drastic reduction is observed for the Gln124Arg change, where the association constant is 30-fold lower than in the mild-type case. Fourth, missense errors are increased as well as decreased by the different amino acid substitutions. Finally, the dissociation rate constant (k(d)) for the release of GDP from EF-Tu is increased 6-fold by the Tyr160Cys substitution, but remains unchanged in the four other cases. These results show that the formation of ternary complex is sensitive to many different alterations in the domain I-III interface of EF-Tu.
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| 4. |
- Abdulkarim, Farhad, et al.
(författare)
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Mutations to kirromycin resistance occur in the interface of domains I and III of EF-Tu.GTP
- 1994
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Ingår i: FEBS Letters. - : Wiley. - 0014-5793 .- 1873-3468. ; 352, s. 118-122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The antibiotic kirromycin inhibits protein synthesis by binding to EF-Tu and preventing its release from the ribosome after GTP hydrolysis.We have isolated and sequenced a collection of kirromycin resistant tuf mutations and identified thirteen single amino acid substitutions at sevendifferent sites in EF-Tu. These have been mapped onto the 3D structures of EF-Tu’GTP and EF-Tu.GDP. In the active GTP form of EF-Tu themutations cluster on each side of the interface between domains I and III. We propose that this domain interface is the binding site for kirromycin.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Dan, et al.
(författare)
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Antibiotikaresistens: är den reversibel?
- 1998
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Ingår i: Smittskydd: Smittskyddsinstitutets tidskrift. - 1401-0690. ; 4:1, s. 3-5
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Recension (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Dan I., et al.
(författare)
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Antibiotic resistance and its cost : is it possible to reverse resistance?
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nature Reviews Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1740-1526 .- 1740-1534. ; 8:4, s. 260-271
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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.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, D.I, et al.
(författare)
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Antibiotikaresistens här för att stanna?
- 1998
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Ingår i: Läkartidningen. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518. ; 95:37, s. 3940-3944
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Forskningsöversikt (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 8. |
- Andersson, Dan I., et al.
(författare)
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Biological roles of translesion synthesis DNA polymerases in eubacteria
- 2010
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Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 77:3, s. 540-548
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biological systems are strongly selected to maintain the integrity of their genomes by prevention and repair of external and internal DNA damages. However, some types of DNA lesions persist and might block the replication apparatus. The universal existence of specialized translesion synthesis DNA polymerases (TLS polymerases) that can bypass such lesions in DNA implies that replication blockage is a general biological problem. We suggest that the primary function for which translesion synthesis polymerases are selected is to rescue cells from replication arrest at lesions in DNA, a situation that, if not amended, is likely to cause an immediate and severe reduction in cell fitness and survival. We will argue that the mutagenesis observed during translesion synthesis is an unavoidable secondary consequence of this primary function and not, as has been suggested, an evolved mechanism to increase mutation rates in response to various stresses. Finally, we will discuss recent data on additional roles for translesion synthesis polymerases in the formation of spontaneous deletions and in transcription-coupled TLS, where the coupling of transcription to TLS is proposed to allow the rescue of the transcription machinery arrested at DNA lesions.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Andersson, Dan I, et al.
(författare)
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Evolution of antibiotic resistance at non-lethal drug concentrations.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Drug resistance updates. - : Elsevier BV. - 1368-7646 .- 1532-2084. ; 15:3, s. 162-172
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human use of antimicrobials in the clinic, community and agricultural systems has driven selection for resistance in bacteria. Resistance can be selected at antibiotic concentrations that are either lethal or non-lethal, and here we argue that selection and enrichment for antibiotic resistant bacteria is often a consequence of weak, non-lethal selective pressures - caused by low levels of antibiotics - that operates on small differences in relative bacterial fitness. Such conditions may occur during antibiotic therapy or in anthropogenically drug-polluted natural environments. Non-lethal selection increases rates of mutant appearance and promotes enrichment of highly fit mutants and stable mutators.
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| 11. |
- Andersson, Dan I., et al.
(författare)
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Gene amplification and adaptive evolution in bacteria
- 2009
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Ingår i: Annual Review of Genetics. - : Annual Reviews. - 0066-4197 .- 1545-2948. ; 43, s. 167-195
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gene duplication-amplification (GDA) processes are highly relevant biologically because they generate extensive and reversible genetic variation on which adaptive evolution can act. Whenever cellular growth is restricted, escape from these growth restrictions often occurs by GDA events that resolve the selective problem. In addition, GDA may facilitate subsequent genetic change by allowing a population to grow and increase in number, thereby increasing the probability for subsequent adaptive mutations to occur in the amplified genes or in unrelated genes. Mathematical modeling of the effect of GDA on the rate of adaptive evolution shows that GDA will facilitate adaptation, especially when the supply of mutations in the population is rate-limiting. GDA can form via several mechanisms, both RecA-dependent and RecA-independent, including rolling-circle amplification and nonequal crossing over between sister chromatids. Due to the high intrinsic instability and fitness costs associated with GDAs, they are generally transient in nature, and consequently their evolutionary and medical importance is often underestimated.
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| 12. |
- Andersson, Dan I., et al.
(författare)
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Mechanisms and consequences of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial peptides
- 2016
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Ingår i: Drug resistance updates. - : Elsevier BV. - 1368-7646 .- 1532-2084. ; 26, s. 43-57
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an intrinsic part of the human innate immune system. Over 100 different human AMPs are known to exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Because of the increased frequency of resistance to conventional antibiotics there is an interest in developing AMPs as an alternative antibacterial therapy. Several cationic peptides that are derivatives of AMPs from the human innate immune system are currently in clinical development. There are also ongoing clinical studies aimed at modulating the expression of AMPs to boost the human innate immune response. In this review we discuss the potential problems associated with these therapeutic approaches. There is considerable experimental data describing mechanisms by which bacteria can develop resistance to AMPs. As for any type of drug resistance, the rate by which AMP resistance would emerge and spread in a population of bacteria in a natural setting will be determined by a complex interplay of several different factors, including the mutation supply rate, the fitness of the resistant mutant at different AMP concentrations, and the strength of the selective pressure. Several studies have already shown that AMP-resistant bacterial mutants display broad cross-resistance to a variety of AMPs with different structures and modes of action. Therefore, routine clinical administration of AMPs to treat bacterial infections may select for resistant bacterial pathogens capable of better evading the innate immune system. The ramifications of therapeutic levels of exposure on the development of AMP resistance and bacterial pathogenesis are not yet understood. This is something that needs to be carefully studied and monitored if AMPs are used in clinical settings.
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| 13. |
- Andersson, Dan I., et al.
(författare)
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Microbiological effects of sublethal levels of antibiotics
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nature Reviews Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1740-1526 .- 1740-1534. ; 12:7, s. 465-478
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The widespread use of antibiotics results in the generation of antibiotic concentration gradients in humans, livestock and the environment. Thus, bacteria are frequently exposed to non-lethal (that is, subinhibitory) concentrations of drugs, and recent evidence suggests that this is likely to have an important role in the evolution of antibiotic resistance. In this Review, we discuss the ecology of antibiotics and the ability of subinhibitory concentrations to select for bacterial resistance. We also consider the effects of low-level drug exposure on bacterial physiology, including the generation of genetic and phenotypic variability, as well as the ability of antibiotics to function as signalling molecules. Together, these effects accelerate the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among humans and animals.
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| 14. |
- Andersson, Dan I, et al.
(författare)
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Muller's ratchet decreases fitness of a DNA-based microbe
- 1996
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 93:2, s. 906-907
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Muller proposed that an asexual organism will inevitably accumulate deleterious mutations, resulting in an increase of the mutational load and an inexorable, ratchet-like, loss of the least mutated class [Muller, H.J. (1964) Mutat. Res. 1, 2-9]. The operation of Muller's ratchet on real populations has been experimentally demonstrated only in RNA viruses. However, these cases are exceptional in that the mutation rates of the RNA viruses are extremely high. We have examined whether Muller's ratchet operates in Salmonella typhimurium, a DNA-based organism with a more typical genomic mutation rate. Cells were grown asexually under conditions expected to result in high genetic drift, and the increase in mutational load was determined. S. typhimurium accumulated mutations under these conditions such that after 1700 generations, 1% of the 444 lineages tested had suffered an obvious loss of fitness, as determined by decreased growth rate. These results suggest that in the absence of sex and with high genetic drift, genetic mechanisms, such as back or compensatory mutations, cannot compensate for the accumulation of deleterious mutations. In addition, we measured the appearance of auxotrophs, which allowed us to calculate an average spontaneous mutation rate of approximately 0.3-1.5 x 10(-9) mutations per base pair per generation. This rate is measured for the largest genetic target studied so far, a collection of about 200 genes.
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| 15. |
- Andersson, Dan I., et al.
(författare)
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Persistence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations
- 2011
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Ingår i: FEMS Microbiology Reviews. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0168-6445 .- 1574-6976. ; 35:5, s. 901-911
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Unfortunately for mankind, it is very likely that the antibiotic resistance problem we have generated during the last 60 years due to the extensive use and misuse of antibiotics is here to stay for the foreseeable future. This view is based on theoretical arguments, mathematical modeling, experiments and clinical interventions, suggesting that even if we could reduce antibiotic use, resistant clones would remain persistent and only slowly (if at all) be outcompeted by their susceptible relatives. In this review, we discuss the multitude of mechanisms and processes that are involved in causing the persistence of chromosomal and plasmid-borne resistance determinants and how we might use them to our advantage to increase the likelihood of reversing the problem. Of particular interest is the recent demonstration that a very low antibiotic concentration can be enriching for resistant bacteria and the implication that antibiotic release into the environment could contribute to the selection for resistance.
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| 16. |
- Andersson, Dan I, et al.
(författare)
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Selection and Transmission of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
- 2017
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Ingår i: Microbiology Spectrum. - 2165-0497. ; 5:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ever since antibiotics were introduced into human and veterinary medicine to treat and prevent bacterial infections there has been a steady selection and increase in the frequency of antibiotic resistant bacteria. To be able to reduce the rate of resistance evolution, we need to understand how various biotic and abiotic factors interact to drive the complex processes of resistance emergence and transmission. We describe several of the fundamental factors that underlay resistance evolution, including rates and niches of emergence and persistence of resistant bacteria, time- and space-gradients of various selective agents, and rates and routes of transmission of resistant bacteria between humans, animals and other environments. Furthermore, we discuss the options available to reduce the rate of resistance evolution and/or transmission and their advantages and disadvantages.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Aranzana-Climent, Vincent, et al.
(författare)
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Translational in vitro and in vivo PKPD modelling for apramycin against Gram-negative lung pathogens to facilitate prediction of human efficacious dose in pneumonia
- 2022
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Ingår i: Clinical Microbiology and Infection. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 1198-743X .- 1469-0691. ; 28:10, s. 1367-1374
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: New drugs and methods to efficiently fight carbapenem-resistant gram-negative pathogens are sorely needed. In this study, we characterized the preclinical pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics of the clinical stage drug candidate apramycin in time kill and mouse lung infection models. Based on in vitro and in vivo data, we developed a mathematical model to predict human efficacy. Methods: Three pneumonia-inducing gram-negative species Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were studied. Bactericidal kinetics were evaluated with time-kill curves; in vivo PK were studied in healthy and infected mice, with sampling in plasma and epithelial lining fluid after subcutaneous administration; in vivo efficacy was measured in a neutropenic mouse pneumonia model. A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model, integrating all the data, was developed and simulations were performed. Results: Good lung penetration of apramycin in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) was shown (area under the curve (AUC)ELF/AUCplasma = 88%). Plasma clearance was 48% lower in lung infected mice compared to healthy mice. For two out of five strains studied, a delay in growth (∼5 h) was observed in vivo but not in vitro. The mathematical model enabled integration of lung PK to drive mouse PK and pharmacodynamics. Simulations predicted that 30 mg/kg of apramycin once daily would result in bacteriostasis in patients. Discussion: Apramycin is a candidate for treatment of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative pneumonia as demonstrated in an integrated modeling framework for three bacterial species. We show that mathematical modelling is a useful tool for simultaneous inclusion of multiple data sources, notably plasma and lung in vivo PK and simulation of expected scenarios in a clinical setting, notably lung infections. © 2022 The Author(s)
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| 20. |
- Arrazuria, Rakel, et al.
(författare)
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Expert workshop summary : Advancing toward a standardized murine model to evaluate treatments for antimicrobial resistance lung infections
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-302X. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and increase in treatment-refractory AMR infections, generates an urgent need to accelerate the discovery and development of novel anti-infectives. Preclinical animal models play a crucial role in assessing the efficacy of novel drugs, informing human dosing regimens and progressing drug candidates into the clinic. The Innovative Medicines Initiative-funded "Collaboration for prevention and treatment of MDR bacterial infections" (COMBINE) consortium is establishing a validated and globally harmonized preclinical model to increase reproducibility and more reliably translate results from animals to humans. Toward this goal, in April 2021, COMBINE organized the expert workshop "Advancing toward a standardized murine model to evaluate treatments for AMR lung infections". This workshop explored the conduct and interpretation of mouse infection models, with presentations on PK/PD and efficacy studies of small molecule antibiotics, combination treatments (beta -lactam/beta -lactamase inhibitor), bacteriophage therapy, monoclonal antibodies and iron sequestering molecules, with a focus on the major Gram-negative AMR respiratory pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii. Here we summarize the factors of variability that we identified in murine lung infection models used for antimicrobial efficacy testing, as well as the workshop presentations, panel discussions and the survey results for the harmonization of key experimental parameters. The resulting recommendations for standard design parameters are presented in this document and will provide the basis for the development of a harmonized and bench-marked efficacy studies in preclinical murine pneumonia model.
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| 21. |
- Arrazuria, Rakel, et al.
(författare)
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Variability of murine bacterial pneumonia models used to evaluate antimicrobial agents
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-302X. ; 13
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antimicrobial resistance has become one of the greatest threats to human health, and new antibacterial treatments are urgently needed. As a tool to develop novel therapies, animal models are essential to bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical research. However, despite common usage of in vivo models that mimic clinical infection, translational challenges remain high. Standardization of in vivo models is deemed necessary to improve the robustness and reproducibility of preclinical studies and thus translational research. The European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)-funded "Collaboration for prevention and treatment of MDR bacterial infections" (COMBINE) consortium, aims to develop a standardized, quality-controlled murine pneumonia model for preclinical efficacy testing of novel anti-infective candidates and to improve tools for the translation of preclinical data to the clinic. In this review of murine pneumonia model data published in the last 10 years, we present our findings of considerable variability in the protocols employed for testing the efficacy of antimicrobial compounds using this in vivo model. Based on specific inclusion criteria, fifty-three studies focusing on antimicrobial assessment against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii were reviewed in detail. The data revealed marked differences in the experimental design of the murine pneumonia models employed in the literature. Notably, several differences were observed in variables that are expected to impact the obtained results, such as the immune status of the animals, the age, infection route and sample processing, highlighting the necessity of a standardized model.
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| 22. |
- Arwidsson, Ola, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence against reciprocal recombination as the basis for tuf gene conversion in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 338:3, s. 463-467
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The duplicate tuf genes on the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium chromosome co-evolve by a RecA-, RecB-dependent gene conversion mechanism. Gene conversion is defined as a non-reciprocal transfer of genetic information. However, in a replicating bacterial chromosome there is a possibility that a reciprocal genetic exchange between different tuf genes sitting on sister chromosomes could result in "apparent" gene conversion. We asked whether the major mechanism of tuf gene conversion was classical or apparent. We devised a genetic selection that allowed us to isolate and examine both expected products from a reciprocal recombination event between the tuf genes. Using this selection we tested within individual cultures for a correlation in the frequency of jackpots as expected if recombination were reciprocal. We found no correlation, either in the frequency of each type of recombinant product, or in the DNA sequences of the products resulting from each recombination event. We conclude that the evidence argues in favor of a non-reciprocal gene conversion mechanism as the basis for tuf gene co-evolution.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Bartke, Katrin, et al.
(författare)
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Evolution of Bacterial Interspecies Hybrids with Enlarged Chromosomes
- 2022
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Ingår i: Genome Biology and Evolution. - : Oxford University Press. - 1759-6653. ; 14:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conjugation driven by a chromosomally integrated F-plasmid (high frequency of recombination strain) can create bacteria with hybrid chromosomes. Previous studies of interspecies hybrids have focused on hybrids in which a region of donor chromosome replaces an orthologous region of recipient chromosome leaving chromosome size unchanged. Very little is known about hybrids with enlarged chromosomes, the mechanisms of their creation, or their subsequent trajectories of adaptative evolution. We addressed this by selecting 11 interspecies hybrids between Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium in which genome size was enlarged. In three cases, this occurred by the creation of an F '-plasmid while in the remaining eight, it was due to recombination of donor DNA into the recipient chromosome. Chromosome length increased by up to 33% and was associated in most cases with reduced growth fitness. Two hybrids, in which chromosome length was increased by the addition of 0.97 and 1.3 Mb, respectively, were evolved to study genetic pathways of fitness cost amelioration. In each case, relative fitness rapidly approached one and this was associated with large deletions involving recombination between repetitive DNA sequences. The locations of these repetitive sequences played a major role in determining the architecture of the evolved genotypes. Notably, in ten out of ten independent evolution experiments, deletions removed DNA of both species, creating high-fitness strains with hybrid chromosomes. In conclusion, we found that enlargement of a bacterial chromosome by acquisition of diverged orthologous DNA is followed by a period of rapid evolutionary adjustment frequently creating irreversibly hybrid chromosomes.
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| 25. |
- Bartke, Katrin, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic Architecture and Fitness of Bacterial Interspecies Hybrids
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular biology and evolution. - : Oxford University Press. - 0737-4038 .- 1537-1719. ; 38:4, s. 1472-1481
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Integration of a conjugative plasmid into a bacterial chromosome can promote the transfer of chromosomal DNA to other bacteria. Intraspecies chromosomal conjugation is believed responsible for creating the global pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 and Escherichia coli ST1193. Interspecies conjugation is also possible but little is known about the genetic architecture or fitness of such hybrids. To study this, we generated by conjugation 14 hybrids of E. coli and Salmonella enterica. These species belong to different genera, diverged from a common ancestor >100 Ma, and share a conserved order of orthologous genes with similar to 15% nucleotide divergence. Genomic analysis revealed that all but one hybrid had acquired a contiguous segment of donor E. coli DNA, replacing a homologous region of recipient Salmonella chromosome, and ranging in size from similar to 100 to >4,000 kb. Recombination joints occurred in sequences with higher-than-average nucleotide identity. Most hybrid strains suffered a large reduction in growth rate, but the magnitude of this cost did not correlate with the length of foreign DNA. Compensatory evolution to ameliorate the cost of low-fitness hybrids pointed towards disruption of complex genetic networks as a cause. Most interestingly, 4 of the 14 hybrids, in which from 45% to 90% of the Salmonella chromosome was replaced with E. coli DNA, showed no significant reduction in growth fitness. These data suggest that the barriers to creating high-fitness interspecies hybrids may be significantly lower than generally appreciated with implications for the creation of novel species.
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| 26. |
- Becker, K., et al.
(författare)
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Antibacterial activity of apramycin at acidic pH warrants wide therapeutic window in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and acute pyelonephritis
- 2021
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Ingår i: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2352-3964. ; 73
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The clinical-stage drug candidate EBL-1003 (apramycin) represents a distinct new subclass of aminoglycoside antibiotics for the treatment of drug-resistant infections. It has demonstrated best-in-class coverage of resistant isolates, and preclinical efficacy in lung infection models. However, preclinical evidence for its utility in other disease indications has yet to be provided. Here we studied the therapeutic potential of EBL-1003 in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infection and acute pyelonephritis (cUTI/AP). Methods: A combination of data-base mining, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, time-kill experiments, and four murine infection models was used in a comprehensive assessment of the microbiological coverage and efficacy of EBL-1003 against Gram-negative uropathogens. The pharmacokinetics and renal toxicology of EBL-1003 in rats was studied to assess the therapeutic window of EBL-1003 in the treatment of cUTI/AP. Findings: EBL-1003 demonstrated broad-spectrum activity and rapid multi-log CFU reduction against a phenotypic variety of bacterial uropathogens including aminoglycoside-resistant clinical isolates. The basicity of amines in the apramycin molecule suggested a higher increase in positive charge at urinary pH when compared to gentamicin or amikacin, resulting in sustained drug uptake and bactericidal activity, and consequently in potent efficacy in mouse infection models. Renal pharmacokinetics, biomarkers for toxicity, and kidney histopathology in adult rats all indicated a significantly lower nephrotoxicity of EBL-1003 than of gentamicin. Interpretation: This study provides preclinical proof-of-concept for the efficacy of EBL-1003 in cUTI/AP. Similar efficacy but lower nephrotoxicity of EBL-1003 in comparison to gentamicin may thus translate into a higher safety margin and a wider therapeutic window in the treatment of cUTI/API. Funding: A full list of funding bodies that contributed to this study can be found in the Acknowledgements section. © 2021 The Author(s)
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| 27. |
- Becker, K., et al.
(författare)
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Efficacy of EBL-1003 (apramycin) against Acinetobacter baumannii lung infections in mice
- 2021
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Ingår i: Clinical Microbiology and Infection. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 1198-743X .- 1469-0691. ; 27:9, s. 1315-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Novel therapeutics are urgently required for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) causing critical infections with high mortality. Here we assessed the therapeutic potential of the clinical-stage drug candidate EBL-1003 (crystalline free base of apramycin) in the treatment of CRAB lung infections. Methods: The genotypic and phenotypic susceptibility of CRAB clinical isolates to aminoglycosides and colistin was assessed by database mining and broth microdilution. The therapeutic potential was assessed by target attainment simulations on the basis of time–kill kinetics, a murine lung infection model, comparative pharmacokinetic analysis in plasma, epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and lung tissue, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PKPD) modelling. Results: Resistance gene annotations of 5451 CRAB genomes deposited in the National Database of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms (NDARO) suggested >99.9% of genotypic susceptibility to apramycin. Low susceptibility to standard-of-care aminoglycosides and high susceptibility to EBL-1003 were confirmed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 100 A. baumannii isolates. Time–kill experiments and a mouse lung infection model with the extremely drug-resistant CRAB strain AR Bank #0282 resulted in rapid 4-log CFU reduction both in vitro and in vivo. A single dose of 125 mg/kg EBL-1003 in CRAB-infected mice resulted in an AUC of 339 h × μg/mL in plasma and 299 h × μg/mL in ELF, suggesting a lung penetration of 88%. PKPD simulations suggested a previously predicted dose of 30 mg/kg in patients (creatinine clearance (CLCr) = 80 mL/min) to result in >99% probability of –2 log target attainment for MICs up to 16 μg/mL. Conclusions: This study provides proof of concept for the efficacy of EBL-1003 in the treatment of CRAB lung infections. Broad in vitro coverage, rapid killing, potent in vivo efficacy, and a high probability of target attainment render EBL-1003 a strong therapeutic candidate for a priority pathogen for which treatment options are very limited. © 2020 The Author(s)
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| 28. |
- Belotserkovsky, Jaroslav, 1980-
(författare)
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Studies on the functional interaction of translation initiation factor IF1 with ribosomal RNA
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Translation initiation factor IF1 is a small, essential and ubiquitous protein factor encoded by a single infA gene in bacteria. Although several important functions have been attributed to IF1, the precise reason for its indispensability is yet to be defined. It is known that IF1 binds to the ribosomal A-site during initiation, where it primarily contacts ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and induces large scale conformational changes in the small ribosomal subunit. To shed more light on the function of IF1 and its interaction with the ribosome, we have employed a genetic approach to elucidate structure-function interactions between IF1 and rRNA. A selection has been used to isolate second site suppressor mutations in rRNA that restore the growth of a cold sensitive mutant IF1 with an arginine to leucine substitution in position 69 (R69L). This yielded two classes of suppressors – one class that mapped to the processing stem of 23S rRNA – a transient structure important for proper maturation of 23S rRNA; and the other class to the functional sequence of 16S rRNA. Suppressor mutations in the processing stem of 23S rRNA were shown to disrupt efficient processing of 23S rRNA. In addition, we report that at least one of the manifestations of cold sensitivity associated with the mutant IF1 is at the level of ribosomal subunit association. These results led to a model whereby the cold sensitive R69L mutant IF1 results in aberrant ribosomal subunit association properties, while the 23S processing stem mutations indirectly suppress this effect by decreasing the pool of mature 50S subunits available for association. Spontaneous suppressor mutations in 16S rRNA were diverse in position and phenotypic properties, but all mutations affected ribosomal subunit association, in most cases by directly decreasing the affinity of the 30S for 50S subunits. Site directed mutagenesis of select positions in 16S rRNA yielded additional suppressor mutations that were localized to the mRNA and streptomycin binding sites on the small ribosomal subunit. We suggest that the 16S rRNA suppressors occur in positions that affect the conformational dynamics brought about by IF1. Taken together, this work indicates that the major function of IF1 is the modulation of ribosomal subunit association brought about through conformational changes of the 30S subunit.
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| 29. |
- Benediktsdottir, Andrea, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Antibacterial sulfonimidamide-based oligopeptides as type I signal peptidase inhibitors : Synthesis and biological evaluation
- 2021
-
Ingår i: European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0223-5234 .- 1768-3254. ; 224
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oligopeptide boronates with a lipophilic tail are known to inhibit the type I signal peptidase in E. coli, which is a promising drug target for developing novel antibiotics. Antibacterial activity depends on these oligopeptides having a cationic modification to increase their permeation. Unfortunately, this modification is associated with cytotoxicity, motivating the need for novel approaches. The sulfonimidamide functionality has recently gained much interest in drug design and discovery, as a means of introducing chirality and an imine-handle, thus allowing for the incorporation of additional substituents. This in turn can tune the chemical and biological properties, which are here explored. We show that introducing the sulfonimidamide between the lipophilic tail and the peptide in a series of signal peptidase inhibitors resulted in antibacterial activity, while the sulfonamide isostere and previously known non-cationic analogs were inactive. Additionally, we show that replacing the sulfonamide with a sulfonimidamide resulted in decreased cytotoxicity, and similar results were seen by adding a cationic sidechain to the sulfonimidamide motif. This is the first report of incorporation of the sulfonimidamide functional group into bioactive peptides, more specifically into antibacterial oligopeptides, and evaluation of its biological effects.
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| 30. |
- Benediktsdottir, Andrea, et al.
(författare)
-
Design, synthesis, and in vitro biological evaluation of meta-sulfonamidobenzamide-based antibacterial LpxH inhibitors
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- New antibacterial compounds are urgently needed, especially for infections caused by the top-priority Gram-negative bacteria that are increasingly difficult to treat. Lipid A is a key component of the Gram-negative outer membrane and the LpxH enzyme plays an important role in its biosynthesis, making it an ideal antibacterial target. Inspired by previously reported ortho-N-methyl-sulfonamidobenzamide-based LpxH inhibitors, novel benzamide substitutions were explored in this work to assess their in vitro activity. Our findings reveal that maintaining wild-type antibacterial activity necessitates N-methyl removal when shifting the ortho-N-methyl-sulfonamide to the meta-position. This discovery led to the synthesis of meta-sulfonamidobenzamide analogs with potent antibacterial activity and enzyme inhibition. Moreover, we demonstrate that modifying the benzamide scaffold can alter hERG blocking. Furthermore, a LpxH-bound X-ray structure of the meta-sulfonamidobenzamide analog facilitated comparison with complexes with ortho-N-methyl-sulfonamidobenzamide analogs, and with the natural enzymatic reaction product lipid X, providing new insights into the enzyme-ligand interactions. Overall, our study has identified meta-sulfonamidobenzamide derivatives as promising LpxH-targeting hits with the potential for optimization in future antibacterial hit-to-lead programs.
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| 31. |
- Bergman, Jessica M, et al.
(författare)
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Acetate availability and utilization supports the growth of mutant sub-populations on aging bacterial colonies
- 2014
-
Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:10, s. e109255-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- When bacterial colonies age most cells enter a stationary phase, but sub-populations of mutant bacteria can continue to grow and accumulate. These sub-populations include bacteria with mutations in rpoB (RNA polymerase β-subunit) or rpoS (RNA polymerase stress-response sigma factor). Here we have identified acetate as a nutrient present in the aging colonies that is utilized by these mutant subpopulations to support their continued growth. Proteome analysis of aging colonies showed that several proteins involved in acetate conversion and utilization were upregulated during aging. Acetate is known to be excreted during the exponential growth phase but can be imported later during the transition to stationary phase and converted to acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA is used in multiple processes, including feeding into the TCA cycle, generating ATP via the glyoxylate shunt, as a source of acetyl groups for protein modification, and to support fatty acid biosynthesis. We showed that deletion of acs (encodes acetyl-CoA synthetase; converts acetate into acetyl-CoA) significantly reduced the accumulation of rpoB and rpoS mutant subpopulations on aging colonies. Measurement of radioactive acetate uptake showed that the rate of conversion decreased in aging wild-type colonies, was maintained at a constant level in the rpoB mutant, and significantly increased in the aging rpoS mutant. Finally, we showed that the growth of subpopulations on aging colonies was greatly enhanced if the aging colony itself was unable to utilize acetate, leaving more acetate available for mutant subpopulations to use. Accordingly, the data show that the accumulation of subpopulations of rpoB and rpoS mutants on aging colonies is supported by the availability in the aging colony of acetate, and by the ability of the subpopulation cells to convert the acetate to acetyl-CoA.
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| 32. |
- Bergman, Jessica M.
(författare)
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Genetics and Growth Regulation in Salmonella enterica
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Most free-living bacteria will encounter different environments and it is therefore critical to be able to rapidly adjust to new growth conditions in order to be competitively successful. Responding to changes requires efficient gene regulation in terms of transcription, RNA stability, translation and post-translational modifications.Studies of an extremely slow-growing mutant of Salmonella enterica, with a Glu125Arg mutant version of EF-Tu, revealed it to be trapped in a stringent response. The perceived starvation was demonstrated to be the result of increased mRNA cleavage of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase genes leading to lower prolyl-tRNA levels. The mutant EF-Tu caused an uncoupling of transcription and translation, leading to increased turnover of mRNA, which trapped the mutant in a futile stringent response.To examine the essentiality of RNase E, we selected and mapped three classes of extragenic suppressors of a ts RNase E phenotype. The ts RNase E mutants were defective in the degradation of mRNA and in the processing of tRNA and rRNA. Only the degradation of mRNA was suppressed by the compensatory mutations. We therefore suggest that degradation of at least a subset of cellular mRNAs is an essential function of RNase E.Bioinformatically, we discovered that the mRNA of tufB, one of the two genes encoding EF-Tu, could form a stable structure masking the ribosomal binding site. This, together with previous studies that suggested that the level of EF-Tu protein could affect the expression of tufB, led us to propose three models for how this could occur. The stability of the tufB RNA structure could be affected by the elongation rate of tufB-translating ribosomes, possibly influenced by the presence of rare codons early in the in tufB mRNA.Using proteomic and genetic assays we concluded that two previously isolated RNAP mutants, each with a growth advantage when present as subpopulations on aging wild-type colonies, were dependent on the utilization of acetate for this phenotype. Increased growth of a subpopulation of wild-type cells on a colony unable to re-assimilate acetate demonstrated that in aging colonies, acetate is available in levels sufficient to sustain the growth of at least a small subpopulation of bacteria.
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| 33. |
- Bergman, Jessica, et al.
(författare)
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Reducing ppGpp Level Rescues an Extreme Growth Defect Caused by Mutant EF-Tu
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:2, s. e90486-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Salmonella enterica grows extremely slowly when it depends on tufA499 (encoding the Gln125Arg mutant form of EF-Tu) to drive protein synthesis. We screened a plasmid library for multi-copy suppressors of the slow growth phenotype and identified spoT as a candidate. The spoT gene encodes a dual function enzyme with both ppGpp synthetase and hydrolase activities. When spoT was cloned behind an arabinose-inducible promoter the growth rate of the mutant strain increased in response to arabinose addition. We found that the slow-growing mutant strain had a relatively high basal level of ppGpp during exponential growth in rich medium. Overexpression of spoT significantly reduced this level of ppGpp suggesting that inappropriately high ppGpp levels might cause the slow growth rate associated with tufA499. We tested this hypothesis by inactivating relA (codes for RelA, a ribosome-associated ppGpp synthetase) in the mutant strain. This inactivation decreased the level of ppGpp in the mutant strain and increased its growth rate. Based on these data we propose that ribosomes depending on tufA499 for their supply of ternary complex (EF-Tu•GTP•aa-tRNA) experience amino acid starvation and that RelA on these starving ribosomes produces an excess of the alarmone ppGpp. This results in a suboptimal partitioning of transcription activity between genes important for fast growth in rich medium and genes important for growth in a poor medium. Accordingly, mutant bacteria growing in a rich medium act physiologically as though they were growing in a nutrient-poor environment. We propose that this generates a vicious circle and contributes to the extreme slow-growth phenotype associated with mutant EF-Tu. Reducing the level of ppGpp increases the growth rate of the mutant because it breaks this circle and reduces the wasteful misdirection of resources in the cell.
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| 34. |
- Berryhill, Brandon A., et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating the potential efficacy and limitations of a phage for joint antibiotic and phage therapy of Staphylococcus aureus infections
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 118:10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In response to increasing frequencies of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, there has been a resurrection of interest in the use of bacteriophage to treat bacterial infections: phage therapy. Here we explore the potential of a seemingly ideal phage, PYOSa, for combination phage and antibiotic treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections. This K-like phage has a broad host range; all 83 tested clinical isolates of S.aureus tested were susceptible to PYOSa. Because of the mode of action of PYOSa, S. aureus is unlikely to generate classical receptor-site mutants resistant to PYOSa; none were observed in the 13 clinical isolates tested. PYOSa kills S. aureus at high rates. On the downside, the results of our experiments and tests of the joint action of PYOSa and antibiotics raise issues that must be addressed before PYOSa is employed clinically. Despite the maintenance of the phage, PYOSa does not clear populations of S. aureus. Due to the ascent of a phenotyically diverse array of small-colony variants following an initial demise, the bacterial populations return to densities similar to that of phage-free controls. Using a combination of mathematical modeling and in vitro experiments, we postulate and present evidence for a mechanism to account for the demise-resurrection dynamics of PYOSa and S. aureus. Critically for phage therapy, our experimental results suggest that treatment with PYOSa followed by bactericidal antibiotics can clear populations of S. aureus more effectively than the antibiotics alone.
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| 35. |
- Bjorkman, J, et al.
(författare)
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Virulence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella typhimurium
- 1998
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Ingår i: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. - : NATL ACAD SCIENCES. - 0027-8424. ; 95:7, s. 3949-3953
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We show that most Salmonella typhimurium mutants resistant to streptomycin, rifampicin, and nalidixic acid are avirulent in mice, Of seven resistant mutants examined, sis were avirulent and one was similar to the wild type In competition experiments in mi
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| 36. |
- Björkman, J, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of environment on compensatory mutations to ameliorate costs of antibiotic resistance
- 2000
-
Ingår i: Science. - : AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 287:5457, s. 1479-1482
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Most types of antibiotic resistance impose a biological cost on bacterial fitness. These costs can be compensated, usually without loss of resistance, by second-site mutations during the evolution of the resistant bacteria in an experimental host or in a laboratory medium. Different fitness-compensating mutations were selected depending on whether the bacteria evolved through serial passage in mice or in a laboratory medium. This difference in mutation spectra was caused by either a growth condition-specific formation or selection of the compensated mutants. These results suggest that bacterial evolution to reduce the costs of antibiotic resistance can take different trajectories within and outside a host.
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| 37. |
- Björkman, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Novel ribosomal mutations affecting translational accuracy, antibiotic resistance and virulence of Salmonella typhimurium
- 1999
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Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : BLACKWELL SCIENCE LTD. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 31:1, s. 53-58
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Many mutations in rpsL cause resistance to, or dependence on, streptomycin and are restrictive (hyperaccurate) in translation. Dependence on streptomycin and hyperaccuracy can each be reversed phenotypically by mutations in either rpsD or rpsE. Such compensatory mutations have been shown to have a ram phenotype (ribosomal ambiguity), increasing the level of translational errors. We have shown recently that restrictive rpsL alleles are also associated with a loss of virulence in Salmonella typhimurium. To test whether ram mutants could reverse this loss of virulence, we have isolated a set of rpsD alleles in Salmonella typhimurium. We found that the rpsD alleles restore the virulence of strains carrying restrictive rpsL alleles to a level close to that of the wild type. Unexpectedly, three out of seven mutant rpsD alleles tested have phenotypes typical of restrictive alleles of rpsL, being resistant to streptomycin and restrictive (hyperaccurate) in translation. These phenotypes have not been previously associated with the ribosomal protein S4. Furthermore, all seven rpsD alleles (four ram and three restrictive) can phenotypically reverse the hyperaccuracy associated with restrictive alleles of rpsL. This is the first demonstration that such compensations do not require that the compensating rpsD allele has a ribosomal ambiguity (ram) phenotype.
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Autoregulation of the tufB operon in Salmonella
- 2016
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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.
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| 41. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-
(författare)
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Biased Evolution : Causes and Consequences
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In evolution alternative genetic trajectories can potentially lead to similar phenotypic outcomes. However, certain trajectories are preferred over others. These preferences bias the genomes of living organisms and the underlying processes can be observed in ongoing evolution.We have studied a variety of biases that can be found in bacterial chromosomes and determined the selective causes and functional consequences for the cell. We have quantified codon usage bias in highly expressed genes and shown that it is selected to optimise translational speed. We further demonstrated that the resulting differences in decoding speed can be used to regulate gene expression, and that the use of ‘non-optimal’ codons can be detrimental to reading frame maintenance. Biased gene location on the chromosome favours recombination between genes within gene families and leads to co-evolution. We have shown that such recombinational events can protect these gene families from inactivation by mobile genetic elements, and that chromosome organization can be selectively maintained because inversions can lead to the formation of unstable hybrid operons.We have used the development of antibiotic resistance to study how different bacterial lifestyles influence evolutionary trajectories. For this we used two distinct pairs of antibiotics and disease-causing bacteria, namely (i) Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is treated with rifampicin and (ii) Escherichia coli that is treated with ciprofloxacin. We have shown that in the slow-growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis, resistance mutations are selected for high-level resistance. Fitness is initially less important, and over time fitness costs can be ameliorated by compensatory mutations. The need for rapid growth causes the selection of ciprofloxacin resistance in Escherichia coli not only to be selected on the basis of high-level resistance but also on high fitness. Compensatory evolution is therefore not required and is not observed.Taken together, our results show that the evolution of a phenotype is the product of multiple steps and that many factors influence which trajectory is the most likely to occur and be most beneficial. Over time, selection will favour this particular trajectory and lead to biased evolution, affecting genome sequence and organization.
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Co-evolution with recombination affects the stability of mobile genetic element insertions within gene families of Salmonella
- 2018
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Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : WILEY. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 108:6, s. 697-710
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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.
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| 44. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Comprehensive phenotypic characterization of rifampicin resistance mutations in Salmonella provides insight into the evolution of resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- 2015
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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.
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| 45. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Expression of the qepA1 gene is induced under antibiotic exposure
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. - : Oxford University Press. - 0305-7453 .- 1460-2091. ; 76:6, s. 1433-1440
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundThe qepA1 gene encodes an efflux pump that reduces susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. Little is known about the regulation of qepA1 expression.ObjectivesTo assess the potential role of ciprofloxacin and other antibiotics in the regulation of qepA1 gene expression. To identify the promoter that drives qepA1 expression and other factors involved in expression regulation. To assess whether the identified features are universal among qepA alleles.MethodsA translational qepA1-yfp fusion under the control of the qepA1 upstream region was cloned into the Escherichia coli chromosome. Expression of the fusion protein was measured in the presence of various antibiotics. Deletions within the upstream region were introduced to identify regions involved in gene expression and regulation. The qepA1 coding sequence and upstream region were compared with all available qepA sequences.ResultsCellular stress caused by the presence of various antibiotics can induce qepA1 expression. The qepA1 gene is fused to a class I integron and gene expression is driven by the Pc promoter within the integrase gene. A segment within the integron belonging to a truncated dfrB4 gene is essential for the regulation of qepA1 expression. This genetic context is universal among all sequenced qepA alleles.ConclusionsThe fusion of the qepA1 gene to a class I integron has created a novel regulatory unit that enables qepA1 expression to be under the control of antibiotic exposure. This setup mitigates potential negative effects of QepA1 production on bacterial fitness by restricting high-level expression to environmental conditions in which QepA1 is beneficial.
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| 46. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Fitness-compensatory mutations in rifampicin-resistant RNA polymerase
- 2012
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Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 85:1, s. 142-151
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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.
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| 47. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic characterization of compensatory evolution in strains carrying rpoB Ser531Leu, the rifampicin resistance mutation most frequently found in clinical isolates
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. - : Oxford University Press. - 0305-7453 .- 1460-2091. ; 68:11, s. 2493-2497
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectivesThe evolution of rifampicin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major threat to effective tuberculosis therapy. Much is known about the initial emergence of rifampicin resistance, but the further evolution of these resistant strains has only lately been subject to investigation. Although resistance can be caused by many different mutations in rpoB, among clinical M. tuberculosis isolates the mutation rpoB S531L is overwhelmingly the most frequently found. Clinical isolates with rpoB S531L frequently carry additional mutations in genes for RNA polymerase subunits, and it has been speculated that these are fitness-compensatory mutations, ameliorating the fitness cost of the primary resistance mutation. We tested this hypothesis using Salmonella as a model organism.MethodsWe created the rpoB S531L mutation in Salmonella and then evolved independent lineages with selection for mutants with increased relative fitness. Relative fitness associated with putative compensatory mutations was measured after genetic reconstruction in isogenic strains.ResultsCompensatory mutations were identified in genes coding for different subunits of RNA polymerase: rpoA, rpoB and rpoC. Genetic reconstructions demonstrated that each of these secondary mutations reduced the fitness cost of the rpoB S531L resistance mutation.ConclusionsThe compensatory mutations identified in Salmonella cluster in similar locations to the additional mutations found in M. tuberculosis isolates. These new data strongly support the idea that many of the previously identified rpoA, rpoB and rpoC mutations in rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis (rpoB S531L) are indeed fitness-compensatory mutations.
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| 48. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Having your cake and eating it - Staphylococcus aureus small colony variants can evolve faster growth rate without losing their antibiotic resistance
- 2017
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Ingår i: MICROBIAL CELL. - : Shared Science Publishers OG. - 2311-2638. ; 4:8, s. 275-277
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Staphylococcus aureus can produce small colony variants (SCVs) during infections. These cause significant clinical problems because they are difficult to detect in standard microbiological screening and are associated with persistent infections. The major causes of the SCV phenotype are mutations that inhibit respiration by inactivation of genes of the menadione or hemin biosynthesis pathways. This reduces the production of ATP required to support fast growth. Importantly, it also decreases cross-membrane potential in SCVs, resulting in decreased uptake of cationic compounds, with reduced susceptibility to aminoglycoside antibiotics as a consequence. Because SCVs are slow-growing (mutations in men genes are associated with growth rates in rich medium similar to 30% of the wild-type growth rate) bacterial cultures are very susceptible to rapid takeover by faster-growing mutants (revertants or suppressors). In the case of reversion, the resulting fast growth is obviously associated with the loss of antibiotic resistance. However, direct reversion is relatively rare due to the very small genetic target size for such mutations. We explored the phenotypic consequences of SCVs evolving faster growth by routes other than direct reversion, and in particular whether any of those routes allowed for the maintenance of antibiotic resistance. In a recent paper (mBio 8: e00358-17) we demonstrated the existence of several different routes of SCV evolution to faster growth, one of which maintained the antibiotic resistance phenotype. This discovery suggests that SCVs might be more adaptable and problematic that previously thought. They are capable of surviving as a slow-growing persistent form, before evolving into a significantly faster-growing form without sacrificing their antibiotic resistance phenotype.
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| 49. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Measuring Homologous Recombination Rates between Chromosomal Locations in Salmonella
- 2019
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Ingår i: Bio-protocol. - : Bio-Protocol LLC. - 2331-8325. ; 9:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Homologous recombination between two similar DNA molecules, plays an important role in the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks. Recombination can occur between two sister chromosomes, or between two locations of similar sequence identity within the same chromosome. The assay described here is designed to measure the rate of homologous recombination between two locations with sequence similarity within the same bacterial chromosome. For this purpose, a selectable/counter-selectable genetic cassette is inserted into one of the locations and homologous recombination repair rates are measured as a function of recombinational removal of the inserted cassette. This recombinational repair process is called gene conversion, non-reciprocal recombination. We used this method to measure the recombination rates between genes within gene families and to study the stability of mobile genetic elements inserted into members of gene families.
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| 50. |
- Brandis, Gerrit, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Mechanisms of fitness cost reduction for rifampicin-resistant strains with deletion or duplication mutations in rpoB.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rifampicin resistance (Rif(R)) is caused by mutations in rpoB, encoding the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase. Rif(R )mutations generally incur a fitness cost and in resistant isolates are frequently accompanied by compensatory mutations in rpoA, rpoB or rpoC. Previous studies of fitness compensation focused on Rif(R) caused by amino acid substitutions within rpoB. Rif(R) is also caused by deletion and duplication mutations in rpoB but it is not known whether or how such mutants can ameliorate their fitness costs. Using experimental evolution of Salmonella carrying Rif(R) deletion or duplication mutations we identified compensatory amino acid substitution mutations within rpoA, rpoB or rpoC in 16 of 21 evolved lineages. Additionally, we found one lineage where a large deletion was compensated by duplication of adjacent amino acids (possibly to fill the gap within the protein structure), two lineages where mutations occurred outside of rpoABC, and two lineages where a duplication mutant reverted to the wild-type sequence. All but the two revertant mutants maintained the Rif(R) phenotype. These data suggest that amino acid substitution mutations are the major compensatory mechanism regardless of the nature of the primary Rif(R) mutation.
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