Edison Lekshmi K, Kariyawasam Subhashinie
Department of Comparative Diagnostics and Population Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.
Pathogens. 2025 May 15;14(5):485. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14050485.
Neonatal Meningitis-causing (NMEC) is the leading cause of neonatal meningitis and exhibits remarkable adaptability to diverse host environments. Understanding its transcriptional responses across different host niches is crucial for deciphering pathogenesis and identifying potential therapeutic targets. We performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of NMEC RS218, the prototype strain of NMEC, under four distinct host-mimicking conditions: colonic fluid (CF), serum (S), human brain endothelial cells (HBECs), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Differential gene expression analysis was conducted to assess metabolic shifts, virulence factor regulation, and niche-specific adaptation strategies, in which RS218 demonstrated niche-specific transcriptional reprogramming. In CF, genes associated with biofilm formation, motility, efflux pumps, and cell division regulation were upregulated, aiding gut colonization. The serum environment triggered the expression of siderophore-mediated iron acquisition, enterobactin biosynthesis, and heme utilization genes, facilitating immune evasion and bacterial persistence. In HBECs, NMEC upregulated genes linked to nucleoside metabolism, membrane remodeling, pilus organization, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) traversal. In CSF, genes related to oxidative stress resistance, chemotaxis, DNA repair, biofilm formation, and amino acid biosynthesis were enriched, reflecting NMEC's adaptive mechanisms for survival under nutrient-depleted conditions. Energy-intensive pathways were consistently downregulated across all niches, highlighting the need for an energy conservation strategy. This study provides novel insights into NMEC's adaptive strategies across different host environments, emphasizing its metabolic flexibility, virulence regulation, and immune evasion mechanisms, offering potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
新生儿脑膜炎致病大肠杆菌(NMEC)是新生儿脑膜炎的主要病因,对多种宿主环境具有显著的适应性。了解其在不同宿主生态位中的转录反应对于阐明发病机制和确定潜在治疗靶点至关重要。我们对NMEC的原型菌株RS218在四种不同的模拟宿主条件下进行了比较转录组分析:结肠液(CF)、血清(S)、人脑内皮细胞(HBECs)和脑脊液(CSF)。进行了差异基因表达分析以评估代谢变化、毒力因子调控和生态位特异性适应策略,其中RS218表现出生态位特异性转录重编程。在CF中,与生物膜形成、运动性、外排泵和细胞分裂调控相关的基因上调,有助于在肠道定殖。血清环境触发了铁载体介导的铁获取、肠杆菌素生物合成和血红素利用基因的表达,促进免疫逃逸和细菌持续存在。在HBECs中,NMEC上调了与核苷代谢、膜重塑、菌毛组织和血脑屏障(BBB)穿越相关的基因。在CSF中,与抗氧化应激、趋化性、DNA修复、生物膜形成和氨基酸生物合成相关的基因富集,反映了NMEC在营养匮乏条件下的生存适应机制。在所有生态位中,能量密集型途径均持续下调,突出了能量节约策略的必要性。本研究为NMEC在不同宿主环境中的适应策略提供了新见解,强调了其代谢灵活性、毒力调控和免疫逃逸机制,为治疗干预提供了潜在靶点。