Zhang Haijie, Xiao Xia, Wang Chenlong, Zhao Yurong, Chen Bo, Ji Xinyuan, Gu Lina, Wang Jie, Wang Zhiqiang, Liu Yuan
Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Mar;12(12):e2411994. doi: 10.1002/advs.202411994. Epub 2025 Jan 31.
The plasmid-borne resistance gene mcr drastically undermines the effectiveness of colistin, posing a substantial threat to public health. Although several key plasmid elements that balance mcr-1 persistence and bacterial growth are identified, the regulatory interactions between mcr-1 and host bacteria remain poorly understood. Using a genome-wide CRISPRi crRNA library, it is identified that DNA polymerase IV, dinB, is essential for controlling the fitness cost associated with mcr-1 in Escherichia coli. The absence of dinB operon enhances mcr-1-mediated colistin resistance but simultaneously compromises bacterial growth and competitiveness. Meanwhile, dinB deficiency mitigates inflammatory response in RAW267.4 cells and enhances bacterial colonization in murine tissues. Further investigation reveals that mcr-1 actively upregulates dinB expression, with the increased reactive oxygen species induced by mcr-1 being crucial for this activation. These findings suggest that dinB modulates mcr expression and bacterial fitness via a negative feedback regulatory mechanism. Leveraging this regulatory relationship, a Toxin-Intein is engineered under the control of dinB promoter to selectively target and kill mcr-positive E. coli both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, the work uncovers a novel adaptive mechanism underlying mcr persistence and provides a precise antimicrobial strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
质粒携带的耐药基因mcr严重削弱了黏菌素的有效性,对公众健康构成了重大威胁。尽管已鉴定出几种平衡mcr-1持久性和细菌生长的关键质粒元件,但mcr-1与宿主细菌之间的调控相互作用仍知之甚少。利用全基因组CRISPRi crRNA文库,研究发现DNA聚合酶IV(dinB)对于控制大肠杆菌中与mcr-1相关的适应性代价至关重要。缺失dinB操纵子会增强mcr-1介导的黏菌素耐药性,但同时会损害细菌的生长和竞争力。此外,dinB缺陷会减轻RAW267.4细胞中的炎症反应,并增强细菌在小鼠组织中的定殖。进一步研究表明,mcr-1会积极上调dinB的表达,mcr-1诱导产生的活性氧增加对这种激活至关重要。这些发现表明,dinB通过负反馈调节机制调节mcr的表达和细菌适应性。利用这种调控关系,在dinB启动子的控制下设计了一种毒素内含肽,以在体外和体内选择性地靶向并杀死mcr阳性的大肠杆菌。总的来说,这项研究揭示了mcr持久性背后的一种新的适应性机制,并提供了一种精确的抗菌策略来对抗耐药病原体。