Bacterial membrane vesicles transport their DNA cargo into host cells

NJ Bitto; R Chapman; S Pidot; A Costin; C Lo; J Choi; T D'Cruze; EC Reynolds; SG Dashper; L Turnbull; CB Whitchurch; TP Stinear; KJ Stacey; RL Ferrero

Journal article

Bacterial membrane vesicles transport their DNA cargo into host cells

NJ Bitto, R Chapman, S Pidot, A Costin, C Lo, J Choi, T D'Cruze, EC Reynolds, SG Dashper, L Turnbull, CB Whitchurch, TP Stinear, KJ Stacey, RL Ferrero

Scientific Reports | NATURE PORTFOLIO | Published : 2017

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07288-4

Download PDF

Abstract

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are extracellular sacs containing biologically active products, such as proteins, cell wall components and toxins. OMVs are reported to contain DNA, however, little is known about the nature of this DNA, nor whether it can be transported into host cells. Our work demonstrates that chromosomal DNA is packaged into OMVs shed by bacteria during exponential phase. Most of this DNA was present on the external surfaces of OMVs, with smaller amounts located internally. The DNA within the internal compartments of Pseudomonas aeruginosa OMVs were consistently enriched in specific regions of the bacterial chromosome, encoding proteins involved in virulence, str..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

Sacha Pidot Author

Eric Reynolds Author

Stuart Dashper Author

Tim Stinear Author

Related Projects (2)

GENOMIC APPROACHES IN HUMAN HEALTH MICROBIOLOGY

This project uses latest genomic technologies to advance our understanding of how bacteria cause disease and finding new antibiotics/approac..

THE ROLE OF PORPHYROMONAS GINGIVALIS OUTER MEMBRANE VESICLE BIOGENESIS IN VIRULENCE AND IMMUNOMODULATION

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis. This bacterium exists as part of a biofilm on the surface of the t..

Grants

Awarded by Australian Government

Funding Acknowledgements

This project was supported by funding from the Australian Research Council to R.L.F. and K.J.S. (Discovery grant DP120104911) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to R.L.F. (Project grant APP1030243). Research at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research is supported by the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program. R.L.F. and T.P.S. are NHMRC Senior Research Fellows (APP1079904 and APP1105525, respectively). K.J.S. was supported by A.R.C. Fellowship FT0991576 and NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship APP1059729. N.B. was funded by an Australian Postgraduate Award. E.R., S.D. and T.D.'C. were supported by the Australian Government, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant APP1101935. R.C. was funded by the NHMRC. C.L. Ferrero is thanked for his assistance with graphics.