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Investigating the Role of the Host Multidrug Resistance Associated Protein Transporter Family in Burkholderia cepacia Complex Pathogenicity Using a Caenorhabditis elegans Infection Model
PLoS One
  • Pietro Tedesco, University of Naples Federico II
  • Marco Visone, National Research Council
  • Ermenegilda Parrilli, University of Naples Federico II
  • Maria Luisa Tutino, University of Naples Federico II
  • Elena Perrin, University of Florence
  • Isabel Maida, University of Florence
  • Renato Fani, University of Florence
  • Francesco Ballestriero, University of New South Wales
  • Radleigh Santos, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies
  • Clemencia Pinilla, Torrey Pines Institute of Molecular Studies
  • Elia Di Schiavi, National Research Council
  • George Tegos, Torrey Pines Institute of Molecular Studies; Wellman Centre for Photomedicine; Harvard Medical School
  • Donatella de Pascale, National Research Council
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-20-2015
Keywords
  • Nematode infections,
  • Caenorhabditis elegans,
  • Death rates,
  • Burkholderia cepacia complex,
  • Gastrointestinal tract,
  • Pathogenesis,
  • Toxins,
  • Cystic fibrosis
Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between host efflux system of the non-vertebrate nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) strain virulence. This is the first comprehensive effort to profile host-transporters within the context of Bcc infection. With this aim, two different toxicity tests were performed: a slow killing assay that monitors mortality of the host by intestinal colonization and a fast killing assay that assesses production of toxins. A Virulence Ranking scheme was defined, that expressed the toxicity of the Bcc panel members, based on the percentage of surviving worms. According to this ranking the 18 Bcc strains were divided in 4 distinct groups. Only the Cystic Fibrosis isolated strains possessed profound nematode killing ability to accumulate in worms’ intestines. For the transporter analysis a complete set of isogenic nematode single Multidrug Resistance associated Protein (MRP) efflux mutants and a number of efflux inhibitors were interrogated in the host toxicity assays. The Bcc pathogenicity profile of the 7 isogenic C. elegans MRP knock-out strains functionality was classified in two distinct groups. Disabling host transporters enhanced nematode mortality more than 50% in 5 out of 7 mutants when compared to wild type. In particular mrp-2 was the most susceptible phenotype with increased mortality for 13 out 18 Bcc strains, whereas mrp-3 and mrp-4 knock-outs had lower mortality rates, suggesting a different role in toxin-substrate recognition. The use of MRP efflux inhibitors in the assays resulted in substantially increased (>40% on average) mortality of wild-type worms.

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Copyright: © 2015 Tedesco et al.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0142883
Citation Information
Pietro Tedesco, Marco Visone, Ermenegilda Parrilli, Maria Luisa Tutino, et al.. "Investigating the Role of the Host Multidrug Resistance Associated Protein Transporter Family in Burkholderia cepacia Complex Pathogenicity Using a Caenorhabditis elegans Infection Model" PLoS One Vol. 10 Iss. 11 (2015) p. e0142883 ISSN: 1932-6203
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/radleigh-santos/26/