Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence.

Bacterial persisters contribute significantly to clinical treatment failure and relapse. These cells could resist antibiotic treatment via transient phenotypic and gene expression alterations. We conducted a high-throughput screening of Salmonella Typhimurium transposon mutants to identify key genes...

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Main Authors: Huang Tang, Zuoqiang Wang, Congcong Li, Jingchen Yu, Wanqiu Huang, Tao Zhou, Chuanzhen Zhang, Bingjie Wen, Chengyue Wang, Xiaocen Zhu, Danni Wang, Jing Tao, Jie Lu, Jinjing Ni, Yu-Feng Yao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-05-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013136
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author Huang Tang
Zuoqiang Wang
Congcong Li
Jingchen Yu
Wanqiu Huang
Tao Zhou
Chuanzhen Zhang
Bingjie Wen
Chengyue Wang
Xiaocen Zhu
Danni Wang
Jing Tao
Jie Lu
Jinjing Ni
Yu-Feng Yao
author_facet Huang Tang
Zuoqiang Wang
Congcong Li
Jingchen Yu
Wanqiu Huang
Tao Zhou
Chuanzhen Zhang
Bingjie Wen
Chengyue Wang
Xiaocen Zhu
Danni Wang
Jing Tao
Jie Lu
Jinjing Ni
Yu-Feng Yao
author_sort Huang Tang
collection DOAJ
description Bacterial persisters contribute significantly to clinical treatment failure and relapse. These cells could resist antibiotic treatment via transient phenotypic and gene expression alterations. We conducted a high-throughput screening of Salmonella Typhimurium transposon mutants to identify key genes for intramacrophage antibiotic persistence. The results show that a sulfur transferase complex encoded by yheM, yheL, yheN, trmU and yhhP are involved in bacterial intramacrophage antibiotic persistence. Salmonella could persist in macrophages by downregulating the expression of the sulfur transferase complex during exposure to high concentrations of antibiotics, and even in a persistent infection mouse model. Mechanistically, deletion of yheM increases reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in the exponential phase, which inhibits bacterial respiration and ATP generation. In contrast, absence of yheM promotes persister formation by elevating (p)ppGpp levels in the stationary phase. Taken together, our data demonstrate that bacteria use the sulfur transferase to coordinate intramacrophage replication and persistence for adaptation to various environmental stresses. These findings reveal the role of the sulfur transferase complex in bacterial intramacrophage persistence and provide a promising target for antibacterial infection therapy.
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spelling doaj-art-628aa24d45884ee4adab35ea7e58d4662025-08-20T03:13:40ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742025-05-01215e101313610.1371/journal.ppat.1013136Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence.Huang TangZuoqiang WangCongcong LiJingchen YuWanqiu HuangTao ZhouChuanzhen ZhangBingjie WenChengyue WangXiaocen ZhuDanni WangJing TaoJie LuJinjing NiYu-Feng YaoBacterial persisters contribute significantly to clinical treatment failure and relapse. These cells could resist antibiotic treatment via transient phenotypic and gene expression alterations. We conducted a high-throughput screening of Salmonella Typhimurium transposon mutants to identify key genes for intramacrophage antibiotic persistence. The results show that a sulfur transferase complex encoded by yheM, yheL, yheN, trmU and yhhP are involved in bacterial intramacrophage antibiotic persistence. Salmonella could persist in macrophages by downregulating the expression of the sulfur transferase complex during exposure to high concentrations of antibiotics, and even in a persistent infection mouse model. Mechanistically, deletion of yheM increases reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in the exponential phase, which inhibits bacterial respiration and ATP generation. In contrast, absence of yheM promotes persister formation by elevating (p)ppGpp levels in the stationary phase. Taken together, our data demonstrate that bacteria use the sulfur transferase to coordinate intramacrophage replication and persistence for adaptation to various environmental stresses. These findings reveal the role of the sulfur transferase complex in bacterial intramacrophage persistence and provide a promising target for antibacterial infection therapy.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013136
spellingShingle Huang Tang
Zuoqiang Wang
Congcong Li
Jingchen Yu
Wanqiu Huang
Tao Zhou
Chuanzhen Zhang
Bingjie Wen
Chengyue Wang
Xiaocen Zhu
Danni Wang
Jing Tao
Jie Lu
Jinjing Ni
Yu-Feng Yao
Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence.
PLoS Pathogens
title Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence.
title_full Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence.
title_fullStr Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence.
title_full_unstemmed Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence.
title_short Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence.
title_sort disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013136
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