Metabolites from Bacterial Pathogens and Their Role in Disease

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology and Ecological Metabolomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2021) | Viewed by 16126

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, ‎MI 48824, USA
Interests: metabolomics; microbiome; cystic fibrosis; coral reefs; bile acids

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bacterial pathogens have evolved myriad mechanisms to cause disease in their hosts, including the production of virulence factors and invasion of immune responses. Traditionally, proteins and enzymes have been the most characterized virulence factors from these pathogens, but small molecules also contribute to the pathogenesis of many bacterial pathogens. Molecules contributing to disease mechanisms can include both primary and secondary metabolites, and there are even instances of bacterial crosstalk and cross-feeding mechanisms that can create pathogenic microbial consortia. This Special Issue aims to highlight how metabolites contribute to pathogenesis and describe methods used to identify small molecules from bacterial pathogens. Articles of interest include those with mechanistic insight into the role of small molecules in virulence, the discovery of novel metabolites from bacterial pathogens, and how metabolite–metabolite interactions among pathogenic microbes can contribute to disease mechanisms in a wide variety of hosts. A better understanding of the role of small molecules in bacterial virulence will lead to better treatment approaches against these organisms and decrease the negative impact virulent strains have on human and animal health.

Prof. Dr. Robert A. Quinn
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • specialized metabolites
  • virulence
  • bacteria
  • infection
  • small molecules
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • bacterial crosstalk

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3556 KiB  
Article
Mining Public Mass Spectrometry Data to Characterize the Diversity and Ubiquity of P. aeruginosa Specialized Metabolites
by Andrew C. Lybbert, Justin L. Williams, Ruma Raghuvanshi, A. Daniel Jones and Robert A. Quinn
Metabolites 2020, 10(11), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10110445 - 5 Nov 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3246
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium that causes chronic infections of burn wounds and in the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Vital to its infection is a myriad of specialized metabolites that serve a variety of biological roles including quorum sensing, [...] Read more.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium that causes chronic infections of burn wounds and in the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Vital to its infection is a myriad of specialized metabolites that serve a variety of biological roles including quorum sensing, metal chelation and inhibition of other competing bacteria. This study employed newly available algorithms for searching individual tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra against the publicly available Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) database to identify the chemical diversity of these compounds and their presence in environmental, laboratory and clinical samples. For initial characterization, the metabolomes of eight clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and uploaded to GNPS for spectral searching. Quinolones, rhamnolipids, phenazines and siderophores were identified and characterized; including the discovery of modified forms of the iron chelator pyochelin. Quinolones were highly diverse with the three base forms Pseudomonas quinolone signal 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone (PQS), 4-heptyl-4(1H)-quinolone (HHQ) and 2-heptyl-4-quinolone-N-oxide (HQNO) having extensive variation in the length of their acyl chain from as small as 3 carbons to as large as 17. Rhamnolipids were limited to either one or two sugars with a limited set of fatty acyl chains, but the base lipid form without the rhamnose was also detected. These specialized metabolites were identified from diverse sources including ant-fungal mutualist dens, soil, plants, human teeth, feces, various lung mucus samples and cultured laboratory isolates. Their prevalence in fecal samples was particularly notable as P. aeruginosa is not known as a common colonizer of the human gut. The chemical diversity of the compounds identified, particularly the quinolones, demonstrates a broad spectrum of chemical properties within these the metabolite groups with likely significant impacts on their biological functions. Mining public data with GNPS enables a new approach to characterize the chemical diversity of biological organisms, which includes enabling the discovery of new chemistry from pathogenic bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolites from Bacterial Pathogens and Their Role in Disease)
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Review

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17 pages, 1400 KiB  
Review
An Overview of Metabolic Activity, Beneficial and Pathogenic Aspects of Burkholderia Spp.
by Hazem S. Elshafie and Ippolito Camele
Metabolites 2021, 11(5), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11050321 - 17 May 2021
Cited by 47 | Viewed by 6096
Abstract
Burkholderia is an important bacterial species which has different beneficial effects, such as promoting the plant growth, including rhizosphere competence for the secretion of allelochemicals, production of antibiotics, and siderophores. In addition, most of Burkholderia species have demonstrated promising biocontrol action against different [...] Read more.
Burkholderia is an important bacterial species which has different beneficial effects, such as promoting the plant growth, including rhizosphere competence for the secretion of allelochemicals, production of antibiotics, and siderophores. In addition, most of Burkholderia species have demonstrated promising biocontrol action against different phytopathogens for diverse crops. In particular, Burkholderia demonstrates significant biotechnological potential as a source of novel antibiotics and bioactive secondary metabolites. The current review is concerned with Burkholderia spp. covering the following aspects: discovering, classification, distribution, plant growth promoting effect, and antimicrobial activity of different species of Burkholderia, shedding light on the most important secondary metabolites, their pathogenic effects, and biochemical characterization of some important species of Burkholderia, such as B. cepacia, B. andropogonis, B. plantarii, B. rhizoxinica, B. glumae, B. caryophylli and B. gladioli. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolites from Bacterial Pathogens and Their Role in Disease)
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21 pages, 1279 KiB  
Review
Metabolic Versatility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during Infection and Dormancy
by Dorothy Pei Shan Chang and Xue Li Guan
Metabolites 2021, 11(2), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11020088 - 2 Feb 2021
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5753
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is a highly successful intracellular pathogen with the ability to withstand harsh conditions and reside long-term within its host. In the dormant and persistent states, the bacterium tunes its metabolism and is [...] Read more.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is a highly successful intracellular pathogen with the ability to withstand harsh conditions and reside long-term within its host. In the dormant and persistent states, the bacterium tunes its metabolism and is able to resist the actions of antibiotics. One of the main strategies Mtb adopts is through its metabolic versatility—it is able to cometabolize a variety of essential nutrients and direct these nutrients simultaneously to multiple metabolic pathways to facilitate the infection of the host. Mtb further undergo extensive remodeling of its metabolic pathways in response to stress and dormancy. In recent years, advancement in systems biology and its applications have contributed substantially to a more coherent view on the intricate metabolic networks of Mtb. With a more refined appreciation of the roles of metabolism in mycobacterial infection and drug resistance, and the success of drugs targeting metabolism, there is growing interest in further development of anti-TB therapies that target metabolism, including lipid metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Here, we will review current knowledge revolving around the versatility of Mtb in remodeling its metabolism during infection and dormancy, with a focus on central carbon metabolism and lipid metabolism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolites from Bacterial Pathogens and Their Role in Disease)
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