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In Silico Analysis of Genetic VapC Profiles from the Toxin-Antitoxin Type II VapBC Modules among Pathogenic,

Alexandre P Y Lopes1, Bruna O P Azevedo2,3, Rebeca C Emídio4,5

  • 1Laboratório Especial de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas-Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, Brazil. alexandre.lopes@butantan.gov.br.

Microorganisms
|February 23, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, like VapBC modules, vary significantly across Leptospira species. Understanding these TA systems is crucial for comprehending bacterial pathogenesis and developing new therapeutic strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Leptospira species cause leptospirosis, with significant diversity influencing pathogenesis.
  • Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are vital for bacterial survival under stress.
  • VapBC modules are a prevalent type of TA system found in numerous bacterial genomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the toxin-antitoxin (TA) profiles of various Leptospira strains.
  • To compare the distribution and evolution of VapBC modules across different Leptospira species.
  • To explore the potential role of TA systems in Leptospira pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a toxin-antitoxin (TA) database for analysis.
  • Performed protein sequence alignment of VapC toxins across Leptospira genomes.
  • Quantified and compared the number of putative VapBC modules in pathogenic, saprophytic, and intermediate strains.

Main Results:

  • Identified varying numbers of VapBC modules: 4 in L. interrogans, 3 in L. borgpetersenii, 8 in L. biflexa, and 15 in L. licerasiae.
  • Observed low amino acid sequence identity among VapC toxins within species.
  • Found species-specific, strain-specific (pathogenic/saprophytic), and random distribution patterns for some VapC toxins.

Conclusions:

  • VapBC modules exhibit complex evolutionary patterns within Leptospira.
  • Significant differences in TA profiles exist between pathogenic and saprophytic Leptospira strains.
  • Further research is needed to characterize novel TA systems and their regulatory networks in pathogenic bacteria.
Keywords:
LeptospiraToxin-antitoxinVapBCVapC

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