The putative type 4 secretion system effector BspD is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen Brucella

ABSTRACT Brucellosis is a debilitating disease caused by the Gram-negative, facultative intracellular zoonotic pathogen Brucella. En route to its intracellular replicative niche, Brucella encounters various stressful environments that may compromise envelope integrity. Here we show that the proposed...

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Main Authors: Maren Ketterer, Petra Chiquet, Mara Esposito, Jaroslaw Sedzicki, Maxime Québatte, Christoph Dehio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2024-11-01
Series:mSphere
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Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00232-24
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author Maren Ketterer
Petra Chiquet
Mara Esposito
Jaroslaw Sedzicki
Maxime Québatte
Christoph Dehio
author_facet Maren Ketterer
Petra Chiquet
Mara Esposito
Jaroslaw Sedzicki
Maxime Québatte
Christoph Dehio
author_sort Maren Ketterer
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Brucellosis is a debilitating disease caused by the Gram-negative, facultative intracellular zoonotic pathogen Brucella. En route to its intracellular replicative niche, Brucella encounters various stressful environments that may compromise envelope integrity. Here we show that the proposed type 4 secretion system (T4SS) effector BspD is a conserved protein of the Rhizobiales, which does not show signs of co-evolution with the presence of a T4SS or a certain lifestyle. We further present data indicating that BspD is critical for the envelope integrity of Brucella abortus in the stationary phase and in the presence of EDTA, a compound known to destabilize the outer membrane. Deletion of bspD resulted in abnormal bacterial morphologies, indicating its involvement in maintaining envelope integrity. Additionally, the absence of BspD led to the formation of fewer and smaller intracellular microcolonies in a macrophage infection model. From our observations, we propose that BspD of B. abortus is critical for preserving the integrity of the bacterial envelope, particularly under stressful conditions, which may enhance Brucella’s ability to survive within host cells.IMPORTANCEBrucellosis, caused by the intracellular pathogen Brucella, poses a significant health threat. Understanding how Brucella adapts to stressful environments is crucial. This study unveils BspD, a conserved protein within the Rhizobiales order, as a key player in maintaining Brucella's envelope integrity. Remarkably, BspD’s presence within the Rizobiales appears independent of the presence of a T4SS or a specific lifestyle. Deletion of bspD resulted in compromised envelope integrity, abnormal bacterial morphologies, and reduced intracellular microcolony formation. These findings underscore BspD’s critical role, particularly in stressful conditions like the stationary phase and EDTA exposure, and highlight its significance for the survival of Brucella within host cells. This elucidation deepens our understanding of Brucella pathogenesis and may inform future therapeutic strategies against brucellosis.
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issn 2379-5042
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spelling doaj-art-39c30d8314344070a526de477347b14c2024-11-21T14:00:48ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSphere2379-50422024-11-0191110.1128/msphere.00232-24The putative type 4 secretion system effector BspD is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen BrucellaMaren Ketterer0Petra Chiquet1Mara Esposito2Jaroslaw Sedzicki3Maxime Québatte4Christoph Dehio5Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandBiozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandBiozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandBiozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandBiozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandBiozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandABSTRACT Brucellosis is a debilitating disease caused by the Gram-negative, facultative intracellular zoonotic pathogen Brucella. En route to its intracellular replicative niche, Brucella encounters various stressful environments that may compromise envelope integrity. Here we show that the proposed type 4 secretion system (T4SS) effector BspD is a conserved protein of the Rhizobiales, which does not show signs of co-evolution with the presence of a T4SS or a certain lifestyle. We further present data indicating that BspD is critical for the envelope integrity of Brucella abortus in the stationary phase and in the presence of EDTA, a compound known to destabilize the outer membrane. Deletion of bspD resulted in abnormal bacterial morphologies, indicating its involvement in maintaining envelope integrity. Additionally, the absence of BspD led to the formation of fewer and smaller intracellular microcolonies in a macrophage infection model. From our observations, we propose that BspD of B. abortus is critical for preserving the integrity of the bacterial envelope, particularly under stressful conditions, which may enhance Brucella’s ability to survive within host cells.IMPORTANCEBrucellosis, caused by the intracellular pathogen Brucella, poses a significant health threat. Understanding how Brucella adapts to stressful environments is crucial. This study unveils BspD, a conserved protein within the Rhizobiales order, as a key player in maintaining Brucella's envelope integrity. Remarkably, BspD’s presence within the Rizobiales appears independent of the presence of a T4SS or a specific lifestyle. Deletion of bspD resulted in compromised envelope integrity, abnormal bacterial morphologies, and reduced intracellular microcolony formation. These findings underscore BspD’s critical role, particularly in stressful conditions like the stationary phase and EDTA exposure, and highlight its significance for the survival of Brucella within host cells. This elucidation deepens our understanding of Brucella pathogenesis and may inform future therapeutic strategies against brucellosis.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00232-24type 4 secretion system effectorBspDBrucellaenvelope integrityouter membranestress tolerance
spellingShingle Maren Ketterer
Petra Chiquet
Mara Esposito
Jaroslaw Sedzicki
Maxime Québatte
Christoph Dehio
The putative type 4 secretion system effector BspD is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen Brucella
mSphere
type 4 secretion system effector
BspD
Brucella
envelope integrity
outer membrane
stress tolerance
title The putative type 4 secretion system effector BspD is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen Brucella
title_full The putative type 4 secretion system effector BspD is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen Brucella
title_fullStr The putative type 4 secretion system effector BspD is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen Brucella
title_full_unstemmed The putative type 4 secretion system effector BspD is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen Brucella
title_short The putative type 4 secretion system effector BspD is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen Brucella
title_sort putative type 4 secretion system effector bspd is involved in maintaining envelope integrity of the pathogen brucella
topic type 4 secretion system effector
BspD
Brucella
envelope integrity
outer membrane
stress tolerance
url https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00232-24
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