Junier, P. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2020

Exploiting oxalotrophic bacteria to control Aspergillus niger lung infections

Aspergillus fungi are opportunistic pathogens that affect a large number of people worldwide. Many aspects of Aspergillus spp. pathogenesis toward humans are known, but their ability to enhance their infectious potential by manipulating the environmental pH of its host has not been considered yet. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that by producing oxalic acid, Aspergillus niger can manipulate pH during lung infection and thus, interfering with this process could limit pathogenicity. To test this hypothesis, we co-cultured A. niger with oxalotrophic bacteria in increasingly complex testing systems (Petri dishes and 3D-cell cultures systems). In in vitro tests, oxalotrophic bacteria limit oxalic acid production and suppressed the pH shift induced by A. niger. In 3D-cell cultures (Transwells(R) and Bronchioles-on-a-chip), A. niger also modified pH, Ca2+ and oxalic acid concentrations. Co-inoculation with as little as 10 cells of the oxalatrophic bacterium strongly inhibited the germination and development of A. niger and returned each of the three parameters to the baseline physiological values of uninfected cells. This biocontrol interaction between oxalotrophic bacteria and oxalate-producing A. niger could represent a paradigm shift in the fight against opportunistic fungal pathogens, where the host environment is rendered less permissive to fungal development.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Cryptosporulation in Kurthia spp. forces a rethinking of asporogenesis in Firmicutes

Sporulation is a complex morphophysiological process resulting in a cellular structure that is more resistant than the vegetative form. In Firmicutes, this structure is produced within the mother cell, and is called an endospore. Endospore formation is thought to have evolved in the common ancestor of Firmicutes. However, sporulation has apparently been lost in some extant lineages that are defined as asporogenic. We isolated strain 11kri321, a representative of the genus Kurthia, from an oligotrophic geothermal reservoir. While Kurthia spp. is considered to comprise only asporogenic species, strain 11kri321 produced spores. Genomic reconstruction of the sporulation pathway shows elements typical of sporulation in Bacilli, including the signaling for sporulation onset. However, key genes were missing, including those involved in engulfment and dipicolinic acid synthesis. Based on the results for strain 11kri321, sporulation was investigated in other Kurthia strains. Genes involved in signaling, cell division and spore coat formation were detected in three available Kurthia genomes. Moreover, endosporulation was clearly visualized in at least two of the four strains tested. These results show that Kurthia is an endospore-forming Firmicute lineage. However, the genetic background of sporulation in this genus deviates from the known sporulation pathway in Firmicutes and even within Bacilli, suggesting that a revision of the minimal set of genes used for genomic detection of sporulation is required. Based on our findings we propose the term cryptosporulant to refer to putative asporogenic Firmicutes for which a detailed genomic and physiological characterization of sporulating is missing. ImportanceEndospore-forming Firmicutes include many environmental and medical relevant bacterial clades. In these microorganisms, the ability to produce endospores is essential for survival in the environment and even for pathogenesis. The minimum core of genes required to produce a viable and resistant spore, the distinction between endospore-forming and asporogenic groups, as well as the evolution of sporulation have been a subject of investigation and debate for decades. Here, we demonstrate endosporulation in the genus Kurthia, considered as asporogenic. Morphological, physiological and genomic analyses were undertaken to demonstrate that sporulation is not lost within this lineage. Based on our results we propose a re-examination of the minimal genetic requirements of sporulation and the use of the term cryptosporulant to describe lineages of Firmicutes that have not previously been observed to sporulate, but for which a detailed analysis is still missing.

microbiology↗