We demonstrate the use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a facile and inexpensive model host for several Gram-positive human bacterial pathogens. Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus, but not Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, or Streptococcus pyogenes, kill adult C. elegans. Focusing our studies on the enterococcal species, we found that both E. faecalis and E. faecium kill C. elegans eggs and hatchlings, although only E. faecalis kills the adults. In the case of adults, a low inoculum of E. faecalis grows to a high titer in the C. elegans intestine, resulting in a persistent infection that cannot be eradicated by prolonged feeding on E. faecium. Interestingly, a high titer of E. faecium also accumulates in the nematode gut, but does not affect the longevity of the worms. Two E. faecalis virulence-related factors that play an important role in mammalian models of infection, fsr, a putative quorum-sensing system, and cytolysin, are also important for nematode killing. We exploit the apparent parallels between Gram-positive infection in simple and more complex organisms by using the nematode to identify an E. faecalis virulence factor, ScrB, which is relevant to mammalian pathogenesis. Gram-positive pathogens in the genera Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Enterococcus are leading causes of human infections, causing diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia, endocarditis, and necrotizing fasciitis. The genus Enterococcus, the main focus of this article, is particularly problematic because of multidrug resistance, including resistance to vancomycin, often the antibiotic of last resort. Nevertheless, only a limited number of enterococcal virulence-related factors have been described, including cytolysin (Cyl), a factor called aggregation substance (AS), a zinc metalloprotease (gelatinase), and fsr, a putative quorum-sensing system thought to be involved in gelatinase and͞or serine protease regulation (1-5). As the development of antibiotic resistance continues to erode one of the greatest advances in modern health care, it is crucial to identify bacterial targets that can form the basis of novel anti-infective therapies.One reason that relatively little is known about enterococcal virulence factors is that the mammalian models used to study enterococcal infections are cumbersome and expensive. Using a mammalian host to screen enterococcal mutant libraries for avirulent mutants, for example, would be prohibitively time consuming and expensive because of the large number of animals involved. Therefore, we have sought to develop alternative nonvertebrate hosts for Enterococcus and other Grampositive human pathogens.Previously, our laboratory and others have shown not only that the Gram-negative human pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica kill the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, but also that P. aeruginosa and S. enterica virulence factors required for mammalian pathogenesis also are required for efficient killing of C. elegans (6-10). In...
The efficient removal of apoptotic cells is critical for the physiological well-being of the organism 1 Ã 4 ; defects in corpse removal have been linked to autoimmune disease 4,5 . While several players regulating the early steps of corpse recognition and internalization have been characterized 6 , the molecules and mechanisms relevant to the subsequent processing of the internalized corpses are poorly understood. Here, we identify a novel pathway for the processing of internalized apoptotic cells in C. elegans and in mammals. First, we show that RAB-5 and RAB-7 are sequentially recruited to phagosomes containing apoptotic corpses as they mature within phagocytes, and that both proteins are required for efficient corpse clearance. We then used targeted genetic screens to identify players regulating the recruitment and/or retention of Rab5 and Rab7 to phagosomes. Seven members of the HOPS complex (a Rab7 activator/effector complex) were required for Rab7 localization or retention on phagosomes. In an effort to identify factors that regulate Rab5 recruitment, we undertook an unbiased reverse genetic screen and identified 61 genes potentially required for corpse removal. In-depth analysis of two candidate genes, vps-34 and dyn-1/ dynamin, showed accumulation of internalized, but undegraded corpses within abnormal phagosomes that are defective in RAB-5 recruitment. Using a series of genetic and biochemical experiments in worms and mammalian cells, we ordered these proteins in a pathway, with DYN-1 functioning upstream of VPS-34, in the recruitment/retention of Rab5 to the nascent phagosome. Further, we identified a novel biochemical complex containing Vps34, dynamin and Rab5 GDP , providing a mechanism for Rab5 recruitment to the nascent phagosome.Removal of apoptotic cells (engulfment) is an essential process that occurs throughout life in multi-cellular animals as part of development, homeostasis, and wound healing1Ã4 , 7 , 8. Engulfment) can be broken down into a series of steps, comprising recognition, internalization, phagosome maturation and finally lysosomal degradation of the apoptotic cell by the phagocyte. In mammals, impaired clearance of apoptotic cell corpses can lead to exposure of autoantigens, resulting in onset of autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus 4,9,10 . Modulation of the engulfment process is therefore a potential therapeutic target in these conditions. One of the fundamental challenges in understanding how defects in engulfment of apoptotic cells translates into diseased states is the identification of critical players involved in corpse removal and how these proteins orchestrate the different stages of engulfment.The nematode C. elegans represents a powerful genetic tool for the study of programmed cell death 11,12 . Large numbers of cells are induced to die during two periods in the life of a worm: during embryonic and larval morphogenesis and during germ cell development 13 . Genetic studies have identified two evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways invol...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.