Skip to main content

EDITORIAL article

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., 18 April 2019
Sec. Molecular Bacterial Pathogenesis
This article is part of the Research Topic The Pathogenic Yersiniae – Advances in the Understanding of Physiology and Virulence, Volume II View all 15 articles

Editorial: The Pathogenic Yersiniae–Advances in the Understanding of Physiology and Virulence, Second Edition

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
  • 2Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Of the 18 known Yersinia species, Y. pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. enterocolitica are pathogenic to humans and animals and are widely characterized. The zoonotic obligate pathogen Y. pestis is the causal agent of plague, a systemic disease that is usually fatal if left untreated (Zietz and Dunkelberg, 2004; Zhou et al., 2006). Free-living Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis are the agents of yersiniosis, a rarely systemic gastrointestinal disease (Galindo et al., 2011). The remaining species are mostly harmless to humans, although Y. ruckeri is an enteric fish pathogen affecting mainly salmonids, while a few others display toxicity toward insects (Sulakvelidze, 2000; Tobback et al., 2007; Fuchs et al., 2008; Chen et al., 2010). At the forefront of Yersinia research are studies of classical microbiology, pathogenesis, protein secretion, niche adaptation, and regulation of gene expression. In pursuit of these endeavors, new frontiers are being forged on waves of methodological and technological innovation. In this second edition of the special research topic on the pathogenic Yersiniae is a compilation of reviews and research articles that summarize current knowledge and future research directions in the Yersinia pathophysiology field.

Protein Secretion

Type III secretion (T3S) is prominent protein delivery process in a large number of Gram-negative bacteria that confers to them an ability to interact in pathogenic or symbiotic relationships with either vertebrate or invertebrate hosts (Buttner, 2012; Deng et al., 2017). The Ysc-Yop T3S system (T3SS) is encoded on a virulence plasmid common to all human pathogenic Yersinia (Cornelis et al., 1998). This so-called “injectisome” has long been believed to provide a conduit through which a restricted set of just six or seven plasmid-encoded host-modulating Yop effectors are delivered from the bacterial cytoplasm into the eukaryotic cell cytosol (Pha and Navarro, 2016; Grabowski et al., 2017). Using a transposon site hybridization based genome wide screen, Schesser-Bartra et al. identified three chromosomally-encoded proteins that promote Y. pestis infection in cells and in mice. With features indicative of host-modulating Yop effectors, they identify the first non-plasmid encoded secretion substrates of the Ysc-Yop T3SS. In another study that performed heterologous complementation analyses with the YscX and YscY protein families, Gurung et al. reveal that the YscX and YscY protein complex produced by Y. pseudotuberculosis is specifically critical for biogenesis and/or function of the Ysc-Yop T3SS. The authors go on to discuss what might be the molecular basis for this specificity.

While pathogenic potential of Yersinia for humans and animals is heavily correlated to the plasmid encoded Ysc-Yop T3SS, Yang et al. provide new insight into the four independent Type VI secretion system (T6SS) copies present in human pathogenic Yersinia. The impact of these multiple systems on Yersinia physiology and pathogenesis is likely to be very large given how T6SSs have capacity to deliver multiple effectors into either prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells, and are known to affect diverse biological processes such as virulence, anti-virulence, stress resistance and competition (Alteri and Mobley, 2016; Lien and Lai, 2017).

Niche Adaptation

Enteropathogenic Yersinia are foodborne pathogens. Therefore it comes as no surprise that they thrive at refrigeration temperatures (Brocklehurst and Lund, 1990; Goverde et al., 1994; Azizoglu and Kathariou, 2010; Keto-Timonen et al., 2018), and in this environment even remain primed for infection (Asadishad et al., 2013). To understand the molecular mechanisms by which psychotropic Yersinia thrive in cold environments may give rise to strategies by which growth can be restricted, and this would be a strategically important preventative measure for the food processing industry. To investigate the genome-wide cold adaptation behavior of Y. pseudotuberculosis, Virtanen et al. used RNA-Seq technology to identify genes that were significantly more expressed in a cell density specific manner at cold temperature. Among the many genes that were up-regulated were nutrient acquisition genes, cold shock protein genes, DEAD-box RNA helicase genes, genes handling compatible solutes, genes involved in transcription termination and translation initiation, and genes involved in cell wall modification. This suggests that Y. pseudotuberculosis establishes a core network of cold responsive proteins to drive ribosome biogenesis and function at low temperature.

It follows that psychotropic Yersinia are enriched in a variety of foods on a global scale (Hilbert et al., 2003; Ozdemir and Arslan, 2015; Le Guern et al., 2016). Moreover, changing food consumption practices and globalization of the international food trade have contributed to increased frequency of yersiniosis (Gupta et al., 2015). At the same time, orally ingested Yersinia have the potential to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract. It has been postulated that surviving bacteria may contribute to the onset or persistence of gut inflammation (Hugot et al., 2003). Although experimental mouse models of Crohn's disease do not discount contributions made by infecting enteropathogenic Yersinia (Meinzer et al., 2008; Murthy et al., 2014; Fonseca et al., 2015; Han et al., 2017), support stemming from cohort studies of Yersinia infected clinical material is underwhelming (Kallinowski et al., 1998; Lamps et al., 2003; Knosel et al., 2009; Chiodini et al., 2013; Leu et al., 2013). To further investigate this issue, Le Baut et al. analyzed the prevalence of Yersinia species in a total of 470 illeal samples taken from Crohn's disease patients and healthy controls. Significantly, Yersinia species were detected with equal frequency in both disease and healthy ileum tissue, suggesting that they are well adapted to this niche. Hence, there is now a need to characterize the effect of resident Yersinia on maturation and regulation of the mucosal immune response.

Gene Expression Control

Behind every successful niche adaptation is a complex regulatory circuitry that controls specific gene expression profiles. For example, the two-component or histidine-aspartate phosphorelay systems are vital for the monitoring of environmental and intracellular signals to produce changes in gene expression or behavioral responses (Stock et al., 2000; Laub and Goulian, 2007). In Yersinia, a large number of two-component systems are known (Marceau, 2005), with a few of them making recognized contributions to Yersinia survivability in the environment or in an infected host (Flamez et al., 2008; Reboul et al., 2014). A notable two component system is EnvZ/OmpR that enables many bacteria to alter gene expression in response to osmotic and acid stress (Walthers et al., 2005; Chakraborty and Kenney, 2018). The work of Jaworska et al. reports on OmpR-mediated control of iron acquisition via transcriptional repression of the HemR1 and HemR2 heme receptors. This regulatory circuit works in conjunction with the transcriptional repressor Fur to prevent over-accumulation of iron/heme by Y. entercolitica.

Another two component system is BarA/UvrY. Responding to metabolic end products such as short chain fatty acids, BarA/UvrY signaling is the primary regulator of the widespread Csr global regulatory system, and in this way can profoundly influence multiple metabolic, behavioral and virulence traits in many bacteria (Vakulskas et al., 2015). In the report by Schachterle et al. BarA/UvrY signaling was found to repress the formation of Y. pseudotuberculosis biofilms through activation of the CsrB regulatory RNA. It is likely that this is pleiotropic repression affecting multiple elements of biofilm formation and maintenance by Y. pseudotuberculosis.

The primary requirement for mature biofilm formation by Yersinia is the production of an exopolysaccharide (EPS) that requires the hmsHFRS locus to coordinate its synthesis and transport (Bobrov et al., 2008). Moreover, c-di-GMP enhances EPS production, and the levels of this signaling molecule are tightly controlled by the opposing actions of two diguanylate cyclases (encoded by hmsT and hmsD) and a phosphodiesterase (hmsP) (Kirillina et al., 2004; Bobrov et al., 2011). The study of Fang et al. describes a novel AraC-like transcriptional activator termed BfvR that controls Y. pestis biofilm formation via stimulating transcription from the hmsHFRS and hmsCDE operons to elevate EPS and c-di-GMP production. This identifies BfvR as the first AraC family transcription regulator reported to control biofilm formation in Yersinia.

Microbiology and Pathogenesis of Non-Mammalian Yersinia Infections

Although not known to be harmful to humans, the enteric fish pathogen Y. ruckeri is still a pathogen of great interest as it has capacity to causes significant economic losses in the aquaculture industry (Tobback et al., 2007). This is reflected by a recent surge of reports that offer improved understanding of the biological processes contributing to Y. ruckeri infection and pathogenicity. The review by Guijarro et al. assimilates this new knowledge to provide up-to-date insight into the molecular mechanisms of the Y. ruckeri infection process. Complementing this review is a report by Wrobel et al. that analyzed the complete DNA sequence of the unique pYR4 plasmid from a highly virulent isolate of Y. ruckeri. This cryptic plasmid has potential to impact positively on Y. ruckeri virulence since it encodes for a type IV pilus and a type IV secretion system that are well established virulence associated factors in other bacteria (Craig et al., 2004; Giltner et al., 2012; Gonzalez-Rivera et al., 2016; Grohmann et al., 2018).

Moreover, there has been great interest in the function and taxonomical distribution of insecticidal genes among Yersinia spp., owing in part to their potential in contributing new knowledge to the ecology, evolution and pathogenicity of human pathogenic Yersinia (Pinheiro and Ellar, 2007; Fuchs et al., 2008, 2011; Hares et al., 2008; Spinner et al., 2012, 2013; Alenizi et al., 2016). Using Y. frederiksenii as a model system that displays toxicity toward insects, Springer et al. were able to demonstrate a distinct contribution of the novel heat-stable cytotonic enterotoxin to oral and intrahemocoelic toxicity of infected insects. These findings led the authors to discuss how the ability to enter invertebrates may constitute a selective advantage to Yersinia isolates in environmental survival and evolution of virulence.

New Frontiers in Yersinia Biology Research

Conventional antibiotics have saved the lives of many by decreasing the morbidity and mortality of bacterial infectious diseases. However, the global emergence of bacteria resistant to these antibiotics means that they no longer work effectively, and this presents a major healthcare issue that creates tremendous global social and economic suffering (Aminov, 2010). Consequently, alternative solutions to this healthcare crisis that are effective and reliable must be swiftly identified. In recent years, one such alternate approach has been to isolate anti-bacterials that function by targeting a virulence determinant (Clatworthy et al., 2007; Maura et al., 2016). Ideally, these so called “anti-infectives” or “virulence blockers” would be specific for pathogenic bacteria and have a bacteriostatic effect that would synergize with the immune system to clear the infection. A classic example of this endeavor is the identification of novel chemical inhibitors of the T3SS (Keyser et al., 2008; Duncan et al., 2012). Despite the success of identifying chemical inhibitors of the T3SS, none of these have yet reached the market. This issue is addressed in a report by Morgan et al. which describes the development of an experimental pipeline that would help transition from high throughput screening to inhibitor validation and initial determination of their mode of action. In so doing, the authors consider important new possible modes of action for T3SS inhibitors.

Bacterial virulence regulation is exquisitely fine-tuned so that subsets of virulence factors are expressed only at times of need. Alterations in the local environment account for triggering changes in this virulence gene expression profile. Responses are rapid, and it is now clear that post-transcriptional regulatory effects, such as small non-coding RNAs contribute to the rapidity of this re-programming. Benefitting from progressive developments in genome-wide omics-based methods of exploration, several RNA-based regulatory systems have been discovered in pathogenic Yersinia. These discoveries have been reviewed by Knittel et al. in the context of Yersinia niche colonization, metabolic adaptation, acute and chronic infection, and evolution. By inference, at least some RNA-based regulatory systems could serve as a suitable target of anti-infective drug development.

The second edition of this research topic, provides many examples demonstrating the great capacity of Yersinia species to adapt and thrive in diverse environmental niches. This is reiterated by the timely review by Davis, which sheds light on the ability of Yersinia sub-populations to phenotypically diversify during an infection in order to balance the need to maintain bacterial growth while resisting attack from different cellular elements of an activated immune system. Underpinning this phenotypic diversification is the ability of subsets of bacteria to make temporal and spatial adjustments to their gene expression profiles in response to the microenvironment. Having the technology to detect gene expression profiles in distinct sub-populations of bacteria offers a unique opportunity to understand the yin and yang of interactions between individual bacteria and specific immune cell types. In turn, this may eventually enable the generation of more efficacious approaches to treat infections by having the option of tailoring novel antibacterials or their immunomodulatory counterparts that can favorably influence the outcome of this bacteria-immune cell interplay.

Author Contributions

MF developed the initial concept and outline. Both MF and VA contributed to the final version of the manuscript.

Funding

MF received research funding from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) under award numbers 2009-5628, 2014-2105 and 2018-02676, the Foundation for Medical Research at Umeå University and the Faculty of Science and Technology at Umeå University. VA received research funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01AI106930 and R01AI119082.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

Alenizi, D., Ringwood, T., Redhwan, A., Bouraha, B., Wren, B. W., Prentice, M., et al. (2016). All Yersinia enterocolitica are pathogenic: virulence of phylogroup 1 Y. enterocolitica in a Galleria mellonella infection model. Microbiology 162, 1379–1387. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.000311

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Alteri, C. J., and Mobley, H. L. (2016). The versatile type VI secretion system. Microbiol. Spectr. 4:VMBF-0026-2015. doi: 10.1128/microbiolspec.VMBF-0026-2015

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Aminov, R. I. (2010). A brief history of the antibiotic era: lessons learned and challenges for the future. Front. Microbiol. 1:134. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2010.00134

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Asadishad, B., Ghoshal, S., and Tufenkji, N. (2013). Role of cold climate and freeze-thaw on the survival, transport, and virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica. Environ. Sci. Technol. 47, 14169–14177. doi: 10.1021/es403726u

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Azizoglu, R. O., and Kathariou, S. (2010). Impact of growth temperature and agar versus liquid media on freeze-thaw tolerance of Yersinia enterocolitica. Foodborne Pathog. Dis. 7, 1125–1128. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2009.0526

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Bobrov, A. G., Kirillina, O., Forman, S., Mack, D., and Perry, R. D. (2008). Insights into Yersinia pestis biofilm development: topology and co-interaction of Hms inner membrane proteins involved in exopolysaccharide production. Environ. Microbiol. 10, 1419–1432. doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01554.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Bobrov, A. G., Kirillina, O., Ryjenkov, D. A., Waters, C. M., Price, P. A., Fetherston, J. D., et al. (2011). Systematic analysis of cyclic di-GMP signalling enzymes and their role in biofilm formation and virulence in Yersinia pestis. Mol. Microbiol. 79, 533–551. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07470.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Brocklehurst, T. F., and Lund, B. M. (1990). The influence of pH, temperature and organic acids on the initiation of growth of Yersinia enterocolitica. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 69, 390–397. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1990.tb01529.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Buttner, D. (2012). Protein export according to schedule: architecture, assembly, and regulation of type III secretion systems from plant- and animal-pathogenic bacteria. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 76, 262–310. doi: 10.1128/MMBR.05017-11

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Chakraborty, S., and Kenney, L. J. (2018). A new role of OmpR in acid and osmotic stress in salmonella and E. coli. Front. Microbiol. 9:2656. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02656

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Chen, P. E., Cook, C., Stewart, A. C., Nagarajan, N., Sommer, D. D., Pop, M., et al. (2010). Genomic characterization of the Yersinia genus. Genome Biol. 11:R1. doi: 10.1186/gb-2010-11-1-r1

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Chiodini, R. J., Dowd, S. E., Davis, B., Galandiuk, S., Chamberlin, W. M., Kuenstner, J. T., et al. (2013). Crohn's disease may be differentiated into 2 distinct biotypes based on the detection of bacterial genomic sequences and virulence genes within submucosal tissues. J. Clin. Gastroenterol. 47, 612–620. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0b013e31827b4f94

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Clatworthy, A. E., Pierson, E., and Hung, D. T. (2007). Targeting virulence: a new paradigm for antimicrobial therapy. Nat. Chem. Biol. 3, 541–548. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.2007.24

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Cornelis, G. R., Boland, A., Boyd, A. P., Geuijen, C., Iriarte, M., Neyt, C., et al. (1998). The virulence plasmid of Yersinia, an antihost genome. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62, 1315–1352.

PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar

Craig, L., Pique, M. E., and Tainer, J. A. (2004). Type IV pilus structure and bacterial pathogenicity. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2, 363–378. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro885

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Deng, W., Marshall, N. C., Rowland, J. L., Mccoy, J. M., Worrall, L. J., Santos, A. S., et al. (2017). Assembly, structure, function and regulation of type III secretion systems. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 15, 323–337. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.20

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Duncan, M. C., Linington, R. G., and Auerbuch, V. (2012). Chemical inhibitors of the type three secretion system: disarming bacterial pathogens. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 56, 5433–5441. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00975-12

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Flamez, C., Ricard, I., Arafah, S., Simonet, M., and Marceau, M. (2008). Phenotypic analysis of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis 32777 response regulator mutants: new insights into two-component system regulon plasticity in bacteria. Int. J. Med. Microbiol. 298, 193–207. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.05.005

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Fonseca, D. M., Hand, T. W., Han, S. J., Gerner, M. Y., Glatman Zaretsky, A., Byrd, A. L., et al. (2015). Microbiota-dependent sequelae of acute infection compromise tissue-specific immunity. Cell 163, 354–366. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.08.030

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Fuchs, T. M., Brandt, K., Starke, M., and Rattei, T. (2011). Shotgun sequencing of Yersinia enterocolitica strain W22703 (biotype 2, serotype O:9): genomic evidence for oscillation between invertebrates and mammals. BMC Genomics 12:168. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-168

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Fuchs, T. M., Bresolin, G., Marcinowski, L., Schachtner, J., and Scherer, S. (2008). Insecticidal genes of Yersinia spp.: taxonomical distribution, contribution to toxicity towards Manduca sexta and Galleria mellonella, and evolution. BMC Microbiol. 8:214. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-8-214

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Galindo, C. L., Rosenzweig, J. A., Kirtley, M. L., and Chopra, A. K. (2011). Pathogenesis of Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis in Human Yersiniosis. J. Pathog. 2011:182051. doi: 10.4061/2011/182051

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Giltner, C. L., Nguyen, Y., and Burrows, L. L. (2012). Type IV pilin proteins: versatile molecular modules. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 76, 740–772. doi: 10.1128/MMBR.00035-12

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Gonzalez-Rivera, C., Bhatty, M., and Christie, P. J. (2016). Mechanism and function of type IV secretion during infection of the human host. Microbiol. Spectr. 4:VMBF-0024-2015. doi: 10.1128/microbiolspec.VMBF-0024-2015

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Goverde, R. L., Kusters, J. G., and Huis in'T Veld, J. H. (1994). Growth rate and physiology of Yersinia enterocolitica; influence of temperature and presence of the virulence plasmid. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 77, 96–104. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1994.tb03050.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Grabowski, B., Schmidt, M. A., and Ruter, C. (2017). Immunomodulatory Yersinia outer proteins (Yops)-useful tools for bacteria and humans alike. Virulence 8, 1124–1147. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1303588

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Grohmann, E., Christie, P. J., Waksman, G., and Backert, S. (2018). Type IV secretion in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Mol. Microbiol. 107, 455–471. doi: 10.1111/mmi.13896

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Gupta, V., Gulati, P., Bhagat, N., Dhar, M. S., and Virdi, J. S. (2015). Detection of Yersinia enterocolitica in food: an overview. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 34, 641–650. doi: 10.1007/s10096-014-2276-7

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Han, S. J., Glatman Zaretsky, A., Andrade-Oliveira, V., Collins, N., Dzutsev, A., Shaik, J., et al. (2017). White adipose tissue is a reservoir for memory T cells and promotes protective memory responses to infection. Immunity 47, 1154–1168 e1156. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.11.009

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Hares, M. C., Hinchliffe, S. J., Strong, P. C., Eleftherianos, I., Dowling, A. J., Ffrench-Constant, R. H., et al. (2008). The Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis toxin complex is active against cultured mammalian cells. Microbiology 154, 3503–3517. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.2008/018440-0

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Hilbert, F., Mayrhofer, S., and Smulders, F. J. (2003). Rapid urease screening of Yersinia on CIN agar plates. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 84, 111–115. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1605(02)00397-5

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Hugot, J. P., Alberti, C., Berrebi, D., Bingen, E., and Cezard, J. P. (2003). Crohn's disease: the cold chain hypothesis. Lancet 362, 2012–2015. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)15024-6

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Kallinowski, F., Wassmer, A., Hofmann, M. A., Harmsen, D., Heesemann, J., Karch, H., et al. (1998). Prevalence of enteropathogenic bacteria in surgically treated chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Hepatogastroenterology 45, 1552–1558.

PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar

Keto-Timonen, R., Pontinen, A., Aalto-Araneda, M., and Korkeala, H. (2018). Growth of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains at different temperatures, pH values, and NaCl and ethanol concentrations. J. Food Prot. 81, 142–149. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-223

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Keyser, P., Elofsson, M., Rosell, S., and Wolf-Watz, H. (2008). Virulence blockers as alternatives to antibiotics: type III secretion inhibitors against Gram-negative bacteria. J. Intern. Med. 264, 17–29. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2008.01941.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Kirillina, O., Fetherston, J. D., Bobrov, A. G., Abney, J., and Perry, R. D. (2004). HmsP, a putative phosphodiesterase, and HmsT, a putative diguanylate cyclase, control Hms-dependent biofilm formation in Yersinia pestis. Mol. Microbiol. 54, 75–88. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2004.04253.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Knosel, T., Schewe, C., Petersen, N., Dietel, M., and Petersen, I. (2009). Prevalence of infectious pathogens in Crohn's disease. Pathol. Res. Pract. 205, 223–230. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2008.04.018

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Lamps, L. W., Madhusudhan, K. T., Havens, J. M., Greenson, J. K., Bronner, M. P., Chiles, M. C., et al. (2003). Pathogenic Yersinia DNA is detected in bowel and mesenteric lymph nodes from patients with Crohn's disease. Am. J. Surg. Pathol. 27, 220–227. doi: 10.1097/00000478-200302000-00011

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Laub, M. T., and Goulian, M. (2007). Specificity in two-component signal transduction pathways. Annu. Rev. Genet. 41, 121–145. doi: 10.1146/annurev.genet.41.042007.170548

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Le Guern, A. S., Martin, L., Savin, C., and Carniel, E. (2016). Yersiniosis in France: overview and potential sources of infection. Int. J. Infect. Dis. 46, 1–7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2016.03.008

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Leu, S. B., Shulman, S. C., Steelman, C. K., Lamps, L. W., Bulut, O. P., Abramowsky, C. R., et al. (2013). Pathogenic Yersinia DNA in intestinal specimens of pediatric patients with Crohn's disease. Fetal Pediatr. Pathol. 32, 367–370. doi: 10.3109/15513815.2013.768744

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Lien, Y. W., and Lai, E. M. (2017). Type VI secretion effectors: methodologies and biology. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 7:254. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00254

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Marceau, M. (2005). Transcriptional regulation in Yersinia: an update. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 7, 151–177. Available online at: http://www.caister.com/cimb/v/v7/151.pdf

PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar

Maura, D., Ballok, A. E., and Rahme, L. G. (2016). Considerations and caveats in anti-virulence drug development. Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 33, 41–46. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2016.06.001

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Meinzer, U., Esmiol-Welterlin, S., Barreau, F., Berrebi, D., Dussaillant, M., Bonacorsi, S., et al. (2008). Nod2 mediates susceptibility to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in mice. PLoS ONE 3:e2769. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002769

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Murthy, A., Li, Y., Peng, I., Reichelt, M., Katakam, A. K., Noubade, R., et al. (2014). A Crohn's disease variant in Atg16l1 enhances its degradation by caspase 3. Nature 506, 456–462. doi: 10.1038/nature13044

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Ozdemir, F., and Arslan, S. (2015). Genotypic and phenotypic virulence characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of Yersinia spp. isolated from meat and milk products. J. Food Sci. 80, M1306–1313. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.12911

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Pha, K., and Navarro, L. (2016). Yersinia type III effectors perturb host innate immune responses. World J. Biol. Chem. 7, 1–13. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v7.i1.1

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Pinheiro, V. B., and Ellar, D. J. (2007). Expression and insecticidal activity of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Photorhabdus luminescens toxin complex proteins. Cell. Microbiol. 9, 2372–2380. doi: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2007.00966.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Reboul, A., Lemaitre, N., Titecat, M., Merchez, M., Deloison, G., Ricard, I., et al. (2014). Yersinia pestis requires the 2-component regulatory system OmpR-EnvZ to resist innate immunity during the early and late stages of plague. J. Infect. Dis. 210, 1367–1375. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiu274

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Spinner, J. L., Carmody, A. B., Jarrett, C. O., and Hinnebusch, B. J. (2013). Role of Yersinia pestis toxin complex family proteins in resistance to phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Infect. Immun. 81, 4041–4052. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00648-13

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Spinner, J. L., Jarrett, C. O., Larock, D. L., Miller, S. I., Collins, C. M., and Hinnebusch, B. J. (2012). Yersinia pestis insecticidal-like toxin complex (Tc) family proteins: characterization of expression, subcellular localization, and potential role in infection of the flea vector. BMC Microbiol. 12:296. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-296

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Stock, A. M., Robinson, V. L., and Goudreau, P. N. (2000). Two-component signal transduction. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 69, 183–215. doi: 10.1146/annurev.biochem.69.1.183

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Sulakvelidze, A. (2000). Yersiniae other than Y. enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. pestis: the ignored species. Microbes Infect. 2, 497–513. doi: 10.1016/S1286-4579(00)00311-7

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Tobback, E., Decostere, A., Hermans, K., Haesebrouck, F., and Chiers, K. (2007). Yersinia ruckeri infections in salmonid fish. J. Fish Dis. 30, 257–268. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2761.2007.00816.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Vakulskas, C. A., Potts, A. H., Babitzke, P., Ahmer, B. M., and Romeo, T. (2015). Regulation of bacterial virulence by Csr (Rsm) systems. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 79, 193–224. doi: 10.1128/MMBR.00052-14

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Walthers, D., Go, A., and Kenney, L. J. (2005). “Regulation of porin gene expression by the two-component regulatory system EnvZ/OmpR,” in Bacterial and Eukaryotic Porins: Structure, Function, Mechanism, ed R. Benz (Weinheim: Wiley-VCH), 1–24.

Google Scholar

Zhou, D., Han, Y., and Yang, R. (2006). Molecular and physiological insights into plague transmission, virulence and etiology. Microbes Infect. 8, 273–284. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2005.06.006

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Zietz, B. P., and Dunkelberg, H. (2004). The history of the plague and the research on the causative agent Yersinia pestis. Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health 207, 165–178. doi: 10.1078/1438-4639-00259

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Keywords: phenotypic and niche adaptation, protein secretion, biofilm, small regulatory RNAs, two-component systems, virulence blockers, Crohn's disease, fish- and insect-pathogen

Citation: Francis MS and Auerbuch V (2019) Editorial: The Pathogenic Yersiniae–Advances in the Understanding of Physiology and Virulence, Second Edition. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 9:119. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00119

Received: 20 March 2019; Accepted: 03 April 2019;
Published: 18 April 2019.

Edited and reviewed by: John S. Gunn, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, United States

Copyright © 2019 Francis and Auerbuch. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Matthew S. Francis, bWF0dGhldy5mcmFuY2lzQHVtdS5zZQ==
Victoria Auerbuch, dmFzdG9uZUB1Y3NjLmVkdQ==

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.