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Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that employs its type III secretion system (T3SS) during the acute phase of infection to translocate cytotoxins into the host cell cytoplasm to evade the immune system. The PcrV protein is located at the tip of the T3SS, facilitates the integration of pore-forming proteins into the eukaryotic cell membrane, and is required for translocation of cytotoxins into the host cell. In this study, we used surface plasmon resonance screening to identify small molecule binders of PcrV. A follow-up structure&ndash, activity relationship analysis resulted in PcrV binders that protect macrophages in a P. aeruginosa cell-based infection assay. Treatment of P. aeruginosa infections is challenging due to acquired, intrinsic, and adaptive resistance in addition to a broad arsenal of virulence systems such as the T3SS. Virulence blocking molecules targeting PcrV constitute valuable starting points for development of next generation antibacterials to treat infections caused by P. aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that employs its type III secretion system (T3SS) during the acute phase of infection to translocate cytotoxins into the host cell cytoplasm to evade the immune system. The PcrV protein is located at the tip of the T3SS, facilitates the integration of pore-forming proteins into the eukaryotic cell membrane, and is required for translocation of cytotoxins into the host cell. In this study, we used surface plasmon resonance screening to identify small molecule binders of PcrV. A follow-up structure-activity relationship analysis resulted in PcrV binders that protect macrophages in a P. aeruginosa cell-based infection assay. Treatment of P. aeruginosa infections is challenging due to acquired, intrinsic, and adaptive resistance in addition to a broad arsenal of virulence systems such as the T3SS. Virulence blocking molecules targeting PcrV constitute valuable starting points for development of next generation antibacterials to treat infections caused by P. aeruginosa.

High-throughput screening facilities do not generally support biosafety level 3 organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To discover not only antibacterials, but also virulence inhibitors with either bacterial or host cell targets, an assay monitoring lung fibroblast survival upon infection was developed and optimized for 384-plate format and robotic liquid handling. By using Mycobacterium marinum as surrogate organism, 28,000 compounds were screened at biosafety level 2 classification, resulting in 49 primary hits. Exclusion of substances with unfavourable properties and known antimicrobials resulted in 11 validated hits of which 7 had virulence inhibiting properties and one had bactericidal effect also in wild type Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This strategy to discover virulence inhibitors using a model organism in high-throughput screening can be a valuable tool for other researchers working on drug discovery against tuberculosis and other biosafety level 3 infectious agents.

Bacterial infections continue to threaten humankind and the rapid spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria is alarming. Current antibiotics target essential bacterial processes and thereby apply a strong selective pressure on pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria alike. One alternative strategy is to block bacterial virulence systems that are essential for the ability to cause disease but not for general bacterial viability. We have previously show that the plant natural product (-)-hopeaphenol blocks the type III secretion system (T3SS) in the Gram-negative pathogens Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (-)-Hopeaphenol is a resveratrol tetramer and in the present study we explore various resveratrol dimers, including partial structures of (-)-hopeaphenol, as T3SS inhibitors. To allow rapid and efficient assessment of T3SS inhibition in P. aeruginosa, we developed a new screening method by using a green fluorescent protein reporter under the control of the ExoS promoter. Using a panel of assays we showed that compounds with a benzofuran core structure i.e. viniferifuran, dehydroampelopsin B, anigopreissin A, dehydro-δ-viniferin and resveratrol-piceatannol hybrid displayed significant to moderate activities towards the T3SS in Y. pseudotuberculosis and P. aeruginosa.

The effect of corticosteroids on human physiology is complex and their use in tuberculosis patients remains controversial. In a high-throughput screening approach designed to discover virulence inhibitors, several corticosteroids were found to prevent cytolysis of fibroblasts infected with mycobacteria. Further experiments with Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed anti-cytolytic activity in the 10 nM range, but no effect on bacterial growth or survival in the absence of host cells at 20 mu M. The results from a panel of corticosteroids with various affinities to the glucocorticoid- and mineralocorticoid receptors indicate that the inhibition of cytolysis most likely is mediated through the glucocorticoid receptor. Using live-imaging of M. tuberculosis-infected human monocyte-derived macrophages, we also show that corticosteroids to some extent control intracellular bacteria. In vitro systems with reduced complexity are to further study and understand the interactions between bacterial infection, immune defense and cell signaling. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council [2013-02030]; Swedish Innovation Agency [2013-02030]; Department of Biotechnology in India [2013-02030]; Kempe Foundations [SMK-1648]; Clas Groschinsky foundation [M16 35]; Laboratories for Chemical Biology Limed, a part of Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden

During infection, the Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs its type III secretion system to translocate the toxin exoenzyme S (ExoS) into the eukaryotic host cell cytoplasm. ExoS is an essential in vivo virulence factor that enables P. aeruginosa to avoid phagocytosis and eventually kill the host cell. ExoS elicits its pathogenicity mainly via ADP-ribosyltransferase (ADPRT) activity. We recently identified a new class of ExoS ADPRT inhibitors with in vitro IC50 of around 20 μM in an enzymatic assay using a recombinant ExoS ADPRT domain. Herein, we report structure-activity relationships of this compound class by comparing a total of 51 compounds based on a thieno [2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one and 4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline scaffolds. Improved inhibitors with in vitro IC50 values of 6 μM were identified. Importantly, we demonstrated that the most potent inhibitors block ADPRT activity of native full-length ExoS secreted by viable P. aeruginosa with an IC50 value of 1.3 μM in an enzymatic assay. This compound class holds promise as starting point for development of novel antibacterial agents.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can be very hard to treat because of high resistance to different antibiotics and alternative treatment regimens are greatly needed. An alternative or a complement to traditional antibiotic is to inhibit virulence of the bacteria. The salicylidene acylhydrazide, INP0341, belongs to a class of compounds that has previously been shown to inhibit virulence in a number of Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, the virulence blocking effect of INP0341 on P. aeruginosa was studied in vitro and in vivo. Two important and closely related virulence system were examined, the type III secretion system (T3SS) that translocates virulence effectors into the cytosol of the host cell to evade immune defense and facilitate colonization and the flagella system, needed for motility and biofilm formation. INP0341 was shown to inhibit expression and secretion of the T3SS toxin exoenzyme S (ExoS) and to prevent bacterial motility on agar plates and biofilm formation. In addition, INP0341 showed an increased survival of P. aeruginosa-infected mice. In conclusion, INP0341 attenuates P. aeruginosa virulence.

Type 3 secretion systems (T3SSs) are major virulence factors in Gram-negative bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa expresses two T3SSs, namely, an injectisome (iT3SS) translocating effector proteins in the host cell cytosol and a flagellum (fT3SS) ensuring bacterial motility. Inhibiting these systems is an appealing therapeutic strategy for acute infections. This study examines the protective effects of the salicylidene acylhydrazide INP0341 and of the hydroxyquinoline INP1750 (previously described as T3SS inhibitors in other species) toward cytotoxic effects of P. aeruginosa in vitro . Both compounds reduced cell necrosis and inflammasome activation induced by reference strains or clinical isolates expressing T3SS toxins or only the translocation apparatus. INP0341 inhibited iT3SS transcriptional activation, including in strains with constitutive iT3SS expression, and reduced the total expression of toxins, suggesting it targets iT3SS gene transcription. INP1750 inhibited toxin secretion and flagellar motility and impaired the activity of the YscN ATPase from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (homologous to the ATPase present in the basal body of P. aeruginosa iT3SS and fT3SS), suggesting that it rather targets a T3SS core constituent with high homology among iT3SS and fT3SS. This mode of action is similar to that previously described for INP1855, another hydroxyquinoline, against P. aeruginosa . Thus, although acting by different mechanisms, INP0341 and INP1750 appear as useful inhibitors of the virulence of P. aeruginosa . Hydroxyquinolines may have a broader spectrum of activity by the fact they act upon two virulence factors (iT3SS and fT3SS).

Small molecule screening identified 5-nitro-7-((4-phenylpiperazine-1-yl-)methyl)quinolin-8-ol INP1750 as a putative inhibitor of type III secretion (T3S) in the Gram-negative pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. In this study we report structure-activity relationships for inhibition of T3S and show that the most potent compounds target both the extracellular bacterium Y. pseudotuberculosis and the intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis in cell-based infection models.

With the rise of multidrug resistance, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections require alternative therapeutics. The injectisome (iT3SS) and flagellar (fT3SS) type III secretion systems are 2 virulence factors associated with poor clinical outcomes. iT3SS translocates toxins, rod, needle, or regulator proteins, and flagellin into the host cell cytoplasm and causes cytotoxicity and NLRC4-dependent inflammasome activation, which induces interleukin 1β (IL-1β) release and reduces interleukin 17 (IL-17) production and bacterial clearance. fT3SS ensures bacterial motility, attachment to the host cells, and triggers inflammation. INP1855 is an iT3SS inhibitor identified by in vitro screening, using Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Using a mouse model of P. aeruginosa pulmonary infection, we show that INP1855 improves survival after infection with an iT3SS-positive strain, reduces bacterial pathogenicity and dissemination and IL-1β secretion, and increases IL-17 secretion. INP1855 also modified the cytokine balance in mice infected with an iT3SS-negative, fT3SS-positive strain. In vitro, INP1855 impaired iT3SS and fT3SS functionality, as evidenced by a reduction in secretory activity and flagellar motility and an increase in adenosine triphosphate levels. As a result, INP1855 decreased cytotoxicity mediated by toxins and by inflammasome activation induced by both laboratory strains and clinical isolates. We conclude that INP1855 acts by dual inhibition of iT3SS and fT3SS and represents a promising therapeutic approach.

Compound 1, 2-(benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole-4-sulfonylamino)-5-chloro-N-(3,4-dichloro-phenyl)-benzamide, was identified as a putative type III secretion inhibitor in Yersinia, and the compound thus has a potential to be used to prevent or treat bacterial infections. A set of seven analogues was synthesized and evaluated in a type III secretion dependent reporter-gene assay with viable bacterial to give basic SAR. A second set of 19 compounds was obtained by statistical molecular design in the building block and product space and by subsequent synthesis. Evaluation in the reporter-gene assay showed that the compounds ranged from non-active to compounds more potent than 1. Based on the data multivariate QSAR models were established and the final Hi-PLS model showed good correlation between experimentally determined % inhibition and the calculated % inhibition of the reporter-gene signal.

Type III secretion (TTS) mediated translocation of exoenzymes is a key virulence strategy utilised by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to deliver exoenzyme effectors into the eukaryotic cell. We have previously shown that type III mediated translocation is a contact dependent process, which requires the secreted translocator proteins PcrV, PopB and PopD. To further analyse this mechanism, HeLa cells were infected with the wild-type strain PAK as well as isogenic pcrV, popB, popD, pcrG and popN mutants. In the presence of eukaryotic cells, expression of exoenzyme S (ExoS) increased. When cells were infected with the wild-type strain PAK no ExoS was detected in the tissue culture medium. This confirms that ExoS translocation by P. aeruginosa occurs by a polarised mechanism. In contrast, high levels of ExoS were recovered in the tissue culture medium when cells were infected with pcrG, pcrV and popN mutants. Additionally, ExoS expression levels were higher for these mutants regardless of inducing conditions. This suggests that PcrG, PcrV and PopN are involved in negative regulation of ExoS expression and secretion, and are required to ensure polarised delivery of effectors into target cells.

The homologues LcrV of Yersinia species and PcrV of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are pore-forming components. When expressed in a Yersinia lcrV background, PcrV formed smaller pores in infected erythrocyte membranes, correlating to a lowered translocation of Yersinia effectors. To understand this phenomenon, cytotoxins exoenzyme S of P. aeruginosa and YopE of Yersinia were introduced into a Yersinia background without Yop effectors but expressing LcrV or PcrV. Comparable translocation of each substrate indicated that substrate recognition by LcrV/PcrV is not a regulator of translocation. Yersinia harboring pcrV coexpressed with its native operon efficiently translocated effectors into HeLa cell monolayers and formed large LcrV-like pores in erythrocyte membranes. Thus, a PcrV complex with native P. aeruginosa translocon components is required to form fully functional pores for complete complementation of effector translocation in Yersinia.

The supply of (-)-hopeaphenol (1) was achieved via enzymatic biotransformation in order to provide material for preclinical investigation. High-throughput screening of a prefractionated natural product library aimed to identify compounds that inhibit the bacterial virulence type III secretion system (T3SS) identified several fractions derived from two Papua New Guinean Anisoptera species, showing activity against Yersinia pseudotuberculosis outer proteins E and H (YopE and YopH). Bioassay-directed isolation from the leaves of A. thurifera, and similarly A. polyandra, resulted in three known resveratrol tetramers, (-)-hopeaphenol (1), vatalbinoside A (2), and vaticanol B (3). Compounds 1-3 displayed IC50 values of 8.8, 12.5, and 9.9 μM in a luminescent reporter-gene assay (YopE) and IC50 values of 2.9, 4.5, and 3.3 μM in an enzyme-based YopH assay, respectively, which suggested that they could potentially act against the T3SS in Yersinia. The structures of 1-3 were confirmed through a combination of spectrometric, chemical methods, and single-crystal X-ray structure determinations of the natural product 1 and the permethyl ether analogue of 3. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the β-glycoside 2 to the aglycone 1 was achieved through biotransformation using the endogenous leaf enzymes. This significantly enhanced the yield of the target bioactive natural product from 0.08% to 1.3% and facilitates ADMET studies of (-)-hopeaphenol (1).

Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are essential virulence devices for many gram-negative bacteria that are pathogenic for plants, animals, and humans. They serve to translocate virulence effector proteins directly into eukaryotic host cells. T3SSs are composed of a large cytoplasmic bulb and a transmembrane region into which a needle is embedded, protruding above the bacterial surface. The emerging antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens urges the development of novel strategies to fight bacterial infections. Therapeutics that rather than kill bacteria only attenuate their virulence may reduce the frequency or progress of resistance emergence. Recently, a group of salicylidene acylhydrazides were identified as inhibitors of T3SSs in Yersinia , Chlamydia , and Salmonella species. Here we show that these are also effective on the T3SS of Shigella flexneri , where they block all related forms of protein secretion so far known, as well as the epithelial cell invasion and induction of macrophage apoptosis usually demonstrated by this bacterium. Furthermore, we show the first evidence for the detrimental effect of these compounds on T3SS needle assembly, as demonstrated by increased numbers of T3S apparatuses without needles or with shorter needles. Therefore, the compounds generate a phenocopy of T3SS export apparatus mutants but with incomplete penetrance. We discuss why this would be sufficient to almost completely block the later secretion of effector proteins and how this begins to narrow the search for the molecular target of these compounds.

The intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis possesses a type III secretion (TTS) system believed to deliver a series of effector proteins into the inclusion membrane (Inc-proteins) as well as into the host cytosol with perceived consequences for the pathogenicity of this common venereal pathogen. Recently, small molecules were shown to block the TTS system of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis . Here, we show that one of these compounds, INP0400, inhibits intracellular replication and infectivity of C. trachomatis at micromolar concentrations resulting in small inclusion bodies frequently containing only one or a few reticulate bodies (RBs). INP0400, at high concentration, given at the time of infection, partially blocked entry of elementary bodies into host cells. Early treatment inhibited the localization of the mammalian protein 14-3-3β to the inclusions, indicative of absence of the early induced TTS effector IncG from the inclusion membrane. Treatment with INP0400 during chlamydial mid-cycle prevented secretion of the TTS effector IncA and homotypic vesicular fusions mediated by this protein. INP0400 given during the late phase resulted in the detachment of RBs from the inclusion membrane concomitant with an inhibition of RB to elementary body conversion causing a marked decrease in infectivity.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa utilises a type III secretion system (TTSS) to introduce exoenzyme S and exoenzyme T into host cells to subvert host cell signalling and thereby promote infection. In this study, we have employed the heterologous TTSS of Yersinia to deliver different mutants of ExoT into HeLa cells. Wild-type ExoT and ExoT variants expressing either GAP (GTPase activating protein) or ADP-ribosyltransferase activity mediated changes in cell morphology, which correlated to disruption of the actin microfilaments of the infected cells. ExoT expressing ADP-ribosylating activity gave an irreversible effect on HeLa cell morphology, while ExoT expressing only GAP activity displayed a reversible effect where the cells regained normal cell morphology after killing of the infecting bacteria. This shows that ExoT can modify and inactivate host cell proteins involved in maintaining the actin cytoskeleton in vivo by two independent mechanisms.

The type III secretion system (TTSS) of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa enables the bacterium to deliver exoenzymes directly into the eukaryotic cell. In this study we have investigated the role of key factors involved in this process. We could demonstrate that the translocators PopB, PopD and PcrV are absolutely required for delivery of Exoenzyme S into host cells. By analyzing different Tfp (type IV pili) mutants we could establish a correlation between the frequency of bacteria binding to the host cell and the levels of translocated ExoS, thereby verifying that the process is contact dependent. However, there was no absolute requirement for the Tfp per se, since the pilus could be substituted with a different type of adhesin, the non-fimbrial adhesin pH6 antigen of Yersinia pestis. Taken together, our results demonstrate that binding to establish close contact between the type III secretion organelle and the host cell is essential for translocation, while the additional activities of Tfp are not essential for the delivery of TTSS proteins.

Intracellular targeting of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa toxins exoenzyme S (ExoS) and exoenzyme T (ExoT) initially results in disruption of the actin microfilament structure of eukaryotic cells. ExoS and ExoT are bifunctional cytotoxins, with N-terminal GTPase-activating protein (GAP) and C-terminal ADP-ribosyltransferase activities. We show that ExoS can modify multiple GTPases of the Ras superfamily in vivo. In contrast, ExoT shows no ADP-ribosylation activity towards any of the GTPases tested in vivo. We further examined ExoS targets in vivo and observed that ExoS modulates the activity of several of these small GTP-binding proteins, such as Ras, Rap1, Rap2, Ral, Rac1, RhoA and Cdc42. We suggest that ExoS is the major ADP-ribosyltransferase protein modulating small GTPase function encoded by P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, we show that the GAP activity of ExoS abrogates the activation of RhoA, Cdc42 and Rap1.

One virulence strategy used by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is to target toxic proteins into eukaryotic cells by a type III secretion mechanism. Two of these proteins, ExoS and ExoT, show 75% homology on amino acid level. However, compared with ExoS, ExoT exhibits highly reduced ADP-ribosylating activity and the role of ExoT in pathogenesis is poorly understood. To study the biological effect of ExoT, we used a strategy by which ExoT was delivered into host cells by the heterologous type III secretion system of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. ExoT was found to induce a rounded cell morphology and to mediate disruption of actin microfilaments, similar to that induced by an ADP-ribosylation defective ExoS (E381A) and the related cytotoxin YopE of Y. pseudotuberculosis. In contrast to ExoS, ExoT had no major effect on cell viability and did not modify or inactivate Ras by ADP-ribosylation in vivo. However, similar to ExoS and YopE, ExoT exhibited GAP (GTPase activating protein) activity on RhoA GTPase in vitro. Interestingly, ExoT(R149K), deficient for GAP activity, still caused a morphological change of HeLa cells. Based on our findings, we suggest that the ADP-ribosylating activity of ExoT target another, as yet unidentified, host protein that is distinct from Ras.

Society faces huge challenges, as a large number of bacteria have developed resistance towards many or all of the antibiotics currently available. Novel strategies that can help solve this problem are urgently needed. One such strategy is to target bacterial virulence, the ability to cause disease e.g., by inhibition of type III secretion systems (T3SSs) utilized by many clinically relevant gram-negative pathogens. Many of the antibiotics used today originate from natural sources. In contrast, most virulence-blocking compounds towards the T3SS identified so far are small organic molecules. A recent high-throughput screening of a prefractionated natural product library identified the resveratrol tetramer (-)-hopeaphenol as an inhibitor of the T3SS in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. In this study we have investigated the virulence blocking properties of (-)-hopeaphenol in three different gram-negative bacteria. (-)- Hopeaphenol was found to have micromolar activity towards the T3SSs in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cell-based infection models. In addition (-)-hopeaphenol reduced cell entry and subsequent intracellular growth of Chlamydia trachomatis.

Intracellular parasitism by Chlamydiales is a complex process involving transmission of metabolically inactive particles that differentiate, replicate, and re-differentiate within the host cell. A type three secretion system (T3SS) has been implicated in this process. We have here identified small molecules of a chemical class of acylated hydrazones of salicylaldehydes that specifically blocks the T3SS of Chlamydia. These compounds also affect the developmental cycle showing that the T3SS has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Chlamydia. Our results suggest a previously unexplored avenue for development of novel anti-chlamydial drugs.