Trace metals are essential micronutrients required for survival across all kingdoms of life. From bacteria to animals, metals have critical roles as both structural and catalytic cofactors for an estimated third of the proteome, representing a major contributor to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. The reactivity of metal ions engenders them with the ability to promote enzyme catalysis and stabilize reaction intermediates. However, these properties render metals toxic at high concentrations and, therefore, metal levels must be tightly regulated. Having evolved in close association with bacteria, vertebrate hosts have developed numerous strategies of metal limitation and intoxication that prevent bacterial proliferation, a process termed nutritional immunity. In turn, bacterial pathogens have evolved adaptive mechanisms to survive in conditions of metal depletion or excess. In this Review, we discuss mechanisms by which nutrient metals shape the interactions between bacterial pathogens and animal hosts. We explore the cell-specific and tissue-specific roles of distinct trace metals in shaping bacterial infections, as well as implications for future research and new therapeutic development.

The intestinal microbiota influences the development and function of myeloid lineages such as neutrophils, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unresolved. Using gnotobiotic zebrafish, we identified the immune effector Serum amyloid A (Saa) as one of the most highly induced transcripts in digestive tissues following microbiota colonization. Saa is a conserved secreted protein produced in the intestine and liver with described effects on neutrophils in vitro , however its in vivo functions remain poorly defined. We engineered saa mutant zebrafish to test requirements for Saa on innate immunity in vivo . Zebrafish mutant for saa displayed impaired neutrophil responses to wounding but augmented clearance of pathogenic bacteria. At baseline, saa mutants exhibited moderate neutrophilia and altered neutrophil tissue distribution. Molecular and functional analyses of isolated neutrophils revealed that Saa suppresses expression of pro-inflammatory markers and bactericidal activity. Saa’s effects on neutrophils depended on microbiota colonization, suggesting this protein mediates the microbiota’s effects on host innate immunity. To test tissue-specific roles of Saa on neutrophil function, we over-expressed saa in the intestine or liver and found that sufficient to partially complement neutrophil phenotypes observed in saa mutants. These results indicate Saa produced by the intestine in response to microbiota serves as a systemic signal to neutrophils to restrict aberrant activation, decreasing inflammatory tone and bacterial killing potential while simultaneously enhancing their ability to migrate to wounds.

Microbial communities populate the mucosal surfaces of all animals. Metazoans have co-evolved with these microorganisms, forming symbioses that affect the molecular and cellular underpinnings of animal physiology. These microorganisms, collectively referred to as the microbiota, are found on many distinct body sites (including the skin, nasal cavity, and urogenital tract), however the most densely colonized host tissue is the intestinal tract. Although spatially confined within the intestinal lumen, the microbiota and associated products shape the development and function of the host immune system. Studies comparing gnotobiotic animals devoid of any microbes (germ free) with counterparts colonized with selected microbial communities have demonstrated that commensal microorganisms are required for the proper development and function of the immune system at homeostasis and following infectious challenge or injury. Animal model systems have been essential for defining microbiota-dependent shifts in innate immune cell function and intestinal physiology during infection and disease. In particular, the zebrafish has emerged as a powerful vertebrate model organism with unparalleled capacity for in vivo imaging, a full complement of genetic approaches, and facile methods to experimentally manipulate microbial communities. Here we review key insights afforded by the zebrafish into the impact of microbiota on innate immunity, including evidence that the perception of and response to the microbiota is evolutionarily conserved. We also highlight opportunities to strengthen the zebrafish model system, and to gain new insights into microbiota-innate immune interactions that would be difficult to achieve in mammalian models.

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23The intestinal microbiota influence diverse aspects of host physiology, including 24

Summary In this study we uncover two genes in Lactobacillus brevis ATCC367, tstT and tstR, encoding for a rhodanese and a transcriptional regulator involved in cyanide detoxification. TstT (LVIS_0852) belongs to a new class of thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferases. We found that TstR (LVIS_0853) modulates both the expression and the activity of the downstream-encoded tstT. The TstR binding site was identified at −1 to +33, from tstR transcriptional start site. EMSA revealed that sulfite, a product of the reaction catalyzed by TstT, improved the interaction between TstR:PtstR, while Fe(III) disrupted this interaction. Site-directed mutagenesis in TstR identified M64 as a key residue in sulfite recognition, while residues H136-H139-C167-M171 formed a pocket for ferric iron coordination. In addition to its role as a transcriptional repressor, TstR is also involved in regulating the thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferase activity of TstT. A 3-fold increase in TstT activity was observed in the presence of TstR, which was enhanced by the addition of Fe(III). Overexpression of the tstRT operon was found to increase the cyanide tolerance of L. brevis and Escherichia coli. The protein-protein interaction between TstR and TstT described herein represents a novel mechanism for regulation of enzymatic activity by a transcriptional regulator.

Background: How human-associated microbial communities resist and respond to perturbations remains incompletely understood. Viral challenge provides one opportunity to test how human microbiota respond to disturbance. Methods: Using an experimental human rhinovirus infection challenge model, we explored how viral infection may alter microbiota of the upper respiratory tract (URT). Healthy human volunteers were inoculated with HRV serotype 39. Samples were collected by lavage before and after inoculation from healthy (sham inoculated, n=7) and infected (n=15) individuals and subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing through amplification of the V4 hypervariable region. Results: No evidence for differences in community alpha-diversity between cohorts was observed. The composition of microbiota of sham-treated and infected subjects did not appear distinguishable and no taxa were significantly associated with infection status. We did not observe support for a correlation between microbial dynamics and counts of specific monocytes. Subject identity was found to be the strongest determinant of community structure in our dataset. Conclusions: Overall, our findings do not suggest a consistent nasopharyngeal microbiota response to rhinovirus challenge. We support the conclusion that this microbial community is individualized. Broadly, our findings contribute to our understanding of how and when immune responses to viruses affect bacterial communities in the URT.