Fur functions as an activator of T6SS-mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in Aeromonas hydrophila
Aeromonas hydrophila, a ubiquitous bacterium in aquatic habitats with broad host ranges, has earned the nickname of a ‘Jack-of-all-trades’. However, there is still a limited understanding of the mechanism of how this bacterium fit the competition with other species in dynamic surroundings. The type...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099611/full |
| _version_ | 1811169406542151680 |
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| author | Jihong Li Jihong Li Jihong Li Jihong Li Zhihao Wu Yuting Hou Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou |
| author_facet | Jihong Li Jihong Li Jihong Li Jihong Li Zhihao Wu Yuting Hou Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou |
| author_sort | Jihong Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aeromonas hydrophila, a ubiquitous bacterium in aquatic habitats with broad host ranges, has earned the nickname of a ‘Jack-of-all-trades’. However, there is still a limited understanding of the mechanism of how this bacterium fit the competition with other species in dynamic surroundings. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is macromolecular machinery found in Gram-negative bacteria’s cell envelope that is responsible for bacterial killing and/or pathogenicity toward different host cells. In this study, the depression of A. hydrophila T6SS under iron-limiting conditions was detected. The ferric uptake regulator (Fur) was then found to act as an activator of T6SS by directly binding to the Fur box region in vipA promoter in the T6SS gene cluster. The transcription of vipA was repressed in Δfur. Moreover, the inactivation of Fur resulted in considerable defects in the interbacterial competition activity and pathogenicity of A. hydrophila in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide the first direct evidence that Fur positively regulates the expression and functional activity of T6SS in Gram-negative bacteria and will help to understand the fascinating mechanism of competitive advantage for A. hydrophila in different ecological niches. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:42:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-174b5390a04946129edf19d387eed1b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:42:54Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-174b5390a04946129edf19d387eed1b12023-02-08T05:02:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2023-02-011310.3389/fmicb.2022.10996111099611Fur functions as an activator of T6SS-mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in Aeromonas hydrophilaJihong Li0Jihong Li1Jihong Li2Jihong Li3Zhihao Wu4Yuting Hou5Yong-An Zhang6Yong-An Zhang7Yong-An Zhang8Yong-An Zhang9Yong-An Zhang10Yang Zhou11Yang Zhou12Yang Zhou13Yang Zhou14Yang Zhou15State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, ChinaGuangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, ChinaShenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, ChinaGuangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, ChinaHubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, ChinaLaboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Green Development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, ChinaGuangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, ChinaShenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Green Development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaShenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, ChinaAeromonas hydrophila, a ubiquitous bacterium in aquatic habitats with broad host ranges, has earned the nickname of a ‘Jack-of-all-trades’. However, there is still a limited understanding of the mechanism of how this bacterium fit the competition with other species in dynamic surroundings. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is macromolecular machinery found in Gram-negative bacteria’s cell envelope that is responsible for bacterial killing and/or pathogenicity toward different host cells. In this study, the depression of A. hydrophila T6SS under iron-limiting conditions was detected. The ferric uptake regulator (Fur) was then found to act as an activator of T6SS by directly binding to the Fur box region in vipA promoter in the T6SS gene cluster. The transcription of vipA was repressed in Δfur. Moreover, the inactivation of Fur resulted in considerable defects in the interbacterial competition activity and pathogenicity of A. hydrophila in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide the first direct evidence that Fur positively regulates the expression and functional activity of T6SS in Gram-negative bacteria and will help to understand the fascinating mechanism of competitive advantage for A. hydrophila in different ecological niches.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099611/fullAeromonas hydrophilaT6SSfurpathogenesisinterbacterial competition activity |
| spellingShingle | Jihong Li Jihong Li Jihong Li Jihong Li Zhihao Wu Yuting Hou Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yong-An Zhang Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Yang Zhou Fur functions as an activator of T6SS-mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in Aeromonas hydrophila Frontiers in Microbiology Aeromonas hydrophila T6SS fur pathogenesis interbacterial competition activity |
| title | Fur functions as an activator of T6SS-mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in Aeromonas hydrophila |
| title_full | Fur functions as an activator of T6SS-mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in Aeromonas hydrophila |
| title_fullStr | Fur functions as an activator of T6SS-mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in Aeromonas hydrophila |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fur functions as an activator of T6SS-mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in Aeromonas hydrophila |
| title_short | Fur functions as an activator of T6SS-mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in Aeromonas hydrophila |
| title_sort | fur functions as an activator of t6ss mediated bacterial dominance and virulence in aeromonas hydrophila |
| topic | Aeromonas hydrophila T6SS fur pathogenesis interbacterial competition activity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099611/full |
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