The C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems
Abstract Background Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the etiologic agent of diphtheria and different systemic infections. The bacterium has been classically described as an extracellular pathogen. However, a number of studies revealed its ability to invade epithelial cells, indicating a more complex p...
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BMC
2018-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12866-018-1247-z |
| _version_ | 1811223359460999168 |
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| author | Dulanthi Weerasekera Franziska Stengel Heinrich Sticht Ana Luíza de Mattos Guaraldi Andreas Burkovski Camila Azevedo Antunes |
| author_facet | Dulanthi Weerasekera Franziska Stengel Heinrich Sticht Ana Luíza de Mattos Guaraldi Andreas Burkovski Camila Azevedo Antunes |
| author_sort | Dulanthi Weerasekera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the etiologic agent of diphtheria and different systemic infections. The bacterium has been classically described as an extracellular pathogen. However, a number of studies revealed its ability to invade epithelial cells, indicating a more complex pathogen-host interaction. The molecular mechanisms controlling and facilitating internalization of C. diphtheriae still remains unclear. Recently, the DIP0733 transmembrane protein was found to play an important role in the interaction with matrix proteins and cell surfaces, nematode colonization, cellular internalization and induction of cell death. Results In this study, we identified a number of short linear motifs and structural elements of DIP0733 with putative importance in virulence, using bioinformatic approaches. A C-terminal coiled-coil region of the protein was considered particularly important, since it was found only in DIP0733 homologs in pathogenic Corynebacterium species but not in non-pathogenic corynebacteria. Infections of epithelial cells and transepithelial resistance assays revealed that bacteria expressing the truncated form of C. diphtheriae DIP0733 and C. glutamicum DIP0733 homolog are less virulent, while the fusion of the coiled-coil sequence to the DIP0733 homolog from C. glutamicum resulted in increased pathogenicity. These results were supported by nematode killing assays and experiments using wax moth larvae as invertebrate model systems. Conclusions Our data indicate that the coil-coiled domain of DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems. |
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| id | doaj.art-18d2c707d9e34e75b01092cf43cc5b7c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2180 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:31:34Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-18d2c707d9e34e75b01092cf43cc5b7c2022-12-22T03:40:12ZengBMCBMC Microbiology1471-21802018-09-0118111310.1186/s12866-018-1247-zThe C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systemsDulanthi Weerasekera0Franziska Stengel1Heinrich Sticht2Ana Luíza de Mattos Guaraldi3Andreas Burkovski4Camila Azevedo Antunes5Microbiology Division, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-NurembergMicrobiology Division, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-NurembergDivision of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-NurembergLaboratory of Diphtheria and Corynebacteria of Clinical Relevance-LDCIC, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Rio de Janeiro State UniversityMicrobiology Division, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-NurembergMicrobiology Division, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-NurembergAbstract Background Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the etiologic agent of diphtheria and different systemic infections. The bacterium has been classically described as an extracellular pathogen. However, a number of studies revealed its ability to invade epithelial cells, indicating a more complex pathogen-host interaction. The molecular mechanisms controlling and facilitating internalization of C. diphtheriae still remains unclear. Recently, the DIP0733 transmembrane protein was found to play an important role in the interaction with matrix proteins and cell surfaces, nematode colonization, cellular internalization and induction of cell death. Results In this study, we identified a number of short linear motifs and structural elements of DIP0733 with putative importance in virulence, using bioinformatic approaches. A C-terminal coiled-coil region of the protein was considered particularly important, since it was found only in DIP0733 homologs in pathogenic Corynebacterium species but not in non-pathogenic corynebacteria. Infections of epithelial cells and transepithelial resistance assays revealed that bacteria expressing the truncated form of C. diphtheriae DIP0733 and C. glutamicum DIP0733 homolog are less virulent, while the fusion of the coiled-coil sequence to the DIP0733 homolog from C. glutamicum resulted in increased pathogenicity. These results were supported by nematode killing assays and experiments using wax moth larvae as invertebrate model systems. Conclusions Our data indicate that the coil-coiled domain of DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12866-018-1247-zCaenorhabditis elegansCorynebacteriaGalleria mellonellaHost pathogen interaction |
| spellingShingle | Dulanthi Weerasekera Franziska Stengel Heinrich Sticht Ana Luíza de Mattos Guaraldi Andreas Burkovski Camila Azevedo Antunes The C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems BMC Microbiology Caenorhabditis elegans Corynebacteria Galleria mellonella Host pathogen interaction |
| title | The C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems |
| title_full | The C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems |
| title_fullStr | The C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | The C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems |
| title_short | The C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae DIP0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems |
| title_sort | c terminal coiled coil domain of corynebacterium diphtheriae dip0733 is crucial for interaction with epithelial cells and pathogenicity in invertebrate animal model systems |
| topic | Caenorhabditis elegans Corynebacteria Galleria mellonella Host pathogen interaction |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12866-018-1247-z |
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