Christiane Wolz

Publications (90) View all

• Article: Production of capsular polysaccharide does not influence Staphylococcus aureus vancomycin susceptibility.

  Andrea Jansen, Christiane Szekat, Wiebke Schröder, Christiane Wolz, Christiane Goerke, Jean C Lee, Michael Türck, Gabriele Bierbaum
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  ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Diverse mechanisms (increased cell wall thickness, low cross linking, decreased autolysis, etc.) have been reported for Staphylococcus aureus strains with intermediate vancomycin susceptibility (VISA). This study was conducted to identify common mechanisms responsible for decreased vancomycin susceptibility in a VISA strain pair. RESULTS: Transcriptional profiling of the clinical heterogeneous VISA isolate SA137/93A and its spontaneous homogeneous mutant strain SA137/93G pointed to an increased capsule production in the strain pair compared to a susceptible control. Furthermore, transcript quantification of the gene cap5E, which is essential for capsule biosynthesis, revealed elevated levels in the VISA strains SA137/93A, SA137/93G and Mu50 in comparison with susceptible strains Reynolds, Newman and SA1450/94. The increased expression was observed in bacteria from exponential as well as stationary growth phase. However, suppression of type 5 capsule formation by expression of antisense RNA did not increase vancomycin susceptibility in the VISA strain SA137/93G. Likewise, construction of inducible mutants of S. aureus Newman or repair of capsule biosynthesis of S. aureus HG001 and S. aureus 1450/94 did not influence resistance to vancomycin. Furthermore, purified type 5 polysaccharide did not protect indicator strains from the action of vancomycin. CONCLUSIONS: The VISA strain tested in this study displayed an increased production of type 5 capsular polysaccharide. However, the production of capsule material did not protect strain SA137/93G and three vancomycin sensitive strains in the presence of vancomycin and thus is not part of the resistance mechanism; however it may represent a by-product of VISA life style that is often characterized by a high sigma factor B activity.
  BMC Microbiology 03/2013; 13(1):65. · 3.04 Impact Factor
• Article: Opposing effects of aminocoumarins and fluoroquinolones on the SOS response and adaptability in Staphylococcus aureus.

  Wiebke Schröder, Christiane Goerke, Christiane Wolz
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  ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES: RecA is the key enzyme involved in DNA repair, recombination and induction of the SOS response and is central to the development of antibiotic resistance. Here we assessed the interaction of two different gyrase inhibitors, ciprofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone) and novobiocin (an aminocoumarin), on RecA activity and the SOS response in Staphylococcus aureus. METHODS: The influence of different gyrase inhibitors on the SOS response of S. aureus (including recA and lexA mutants) was analysed by northern blot analysis, real-time RT-PCR, western blot analysis and promoter activity assays. Recombination as well as mutation frequencies were determined for the different antibiotic combinations. RESULTS: We verified that ciprofloxacin leads to RecA activation and therefore induction of the SOS response. In contrast, novobiocin treatment resulted in an inhibition of recA transcription independent of LexA. When novobiocin and ciprofloxacin were added simultaneously, recA was reduced to the same level as with novobiocin alone. In combination, novobiocin also partially reduces the ciprofloxacin-mediated induction of the LexA target gene umuC (error-prone polymerase). Apart from reducing recA and umuC expression, novobiocin also inhibited the frequency of recombination, mutation and the formation of non-haemolytic variants. CONCLUSION: In summary, aminocoumarins inhibit recA expression in S. aureus and probably delay the process of developing antibiotic resistance and gene transfer. A clinical re-evaluation of these compounds as well as designing more applicable derivatives should be considered.
  Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 11/2012; · 5.07 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Christiane Wolz

  Article: Diversification of clonal complex 5 MRSA strains (Rhine-Hesse clone) within Germany.

  Berit Schulte, Gabriele Bierbaum, Konstanze Pohl, Christiane Goerke, Christiane Wolz
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  ABSTRACT: Since 1995, a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone has spread in southern Germany. The strain was assigned to the Rhine-Hesse PFGE type by the staphylococcal reference center and was highly similar to epidemic clones known to belong to clonal complex 5 (CC5, USA100) based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Here we analysed a defined collection of strains assigned to the Rhine-Hesse/USA100 PFGE type. Using sequence-based typing methods (MLST, spa), the isolates were divided into two distinct clusters, ST5 and its single locus variant ST225. These two lineages are not distinguishable by PFGE or phage typing. Most of the ST5 isolates were derived from patients and volunteers from the Tübingen area in southwest Germany, whereas the ST225 isolates were mostly from other locations in Germany. The locally restricted ST5 isolates were shown to contain different SSCmec islands and exhibited different antibiotic resistance profiles. In contrast, the ST225 isolates form a highly homogenous group and are emerging all over Germany. The two lineages are clearly distinguishable by their phage content and spa type: ST5 strains from Tübingen are characterized by a Sa7int phage that carries the virulence gene sak, which codes for staphylokinase and ST225 isolates are characterized by a Sa1int phage. In conclusion, based on sequence typing and phage content CC5 strains can be subdivided into two distinct lineages with different epidemicity.
  Journal of clinical microbiology 11/2012; · 4.16 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Christiane Wolz

  Article: The Stringent Response of Staphylococcus aureus and Its Impact on Survival after Phagocytosis through the Induction of Intracellular PSMs Expression.

  Tobias Geiger, Patrice Francois, Manuel Liebeke, Martin Fraunholz, Christiane Goerke, Bernhard Krismer, Jacques Schrenzel, Michael Lalk, Christiane Wolz
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  ABSTRACT: The stringent response is initiated by rapid (p)ppGpp synthesis, which leads to a profound reprogramming of gene expression in most bacteria. The stringent phenotype seems to be species specific and may be mediated by fundamentally different molecular mechanisms. In Staphylococcus aureus, (p)ppGpp synthesis upon amino acid deprivation is achieved through the synthase domain of the bifunctional enzyme RSH (RelA/SpoT homolog). In several firmicutes, a direct link between stringent response and the CodY regulon was proposed. Wild-type strain HG001, rsh(Syn), codY and rsh(Syn), codY double mutants were analyzed by transcriptome analysis to delineate different consequences of RSH-dependent (p)ppGpp synthesis after induction of the stringent response by amino-acid deprivation. Under these conditions genes coding for major components of the protein synthesis machinery and nucleotide metabolism were down-regulated only in rsh positive strains. Genes which became activated upon (p)ppGpp induction are mostly regulated indirectly via de-repression of the GTP-responsive repressor CodY. Only seven genes, including those coding for the cytotoxic phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs), were found to be up-regulated via RSH independently of CodY. qtRT-PCR analyses of hallmark genes of the stringent response indicate that an RSH activating stringent condition is induced after uptake of S. aureus in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). The RSH activity in turn is crucial for intracellular expression of psms. Accordingly, rsh(Syn) and rsh(Syn), codY mutants were less able to survive after phagocytosis similar to psm mutants. Intraphagosomal induction of psmα1-4 and/or psmβ1,2 could complement the survival of the rsh(Syn) mutant. Thus, an active RSH synthase is required for intracellular psm expression which contributes to survival after phagocytosis.
  PLoS Pathogens 11/2012; 8(11):e1003016. · 9.13 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Jörg Bernhardt

  Article: RNase Y of Staphylococcus aureus and its role in the activation of virulence genes.

  Gabriella Marincola, Tina Schäfer, Juliane Behler, Jörg Bernhardt, Knut Ohlsen, Christiane Goerke, Christiane Wolz
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  ABSTRACT: RNase Y of Bacillus subtilis is a key member of the degradosome and important for bulk mRNA turnover. In contrast to B. subtilis, the RNase Y homologue (rny/cvfA) of Staphylococcus aureus is not essential for growth. Here we found that RNase Y plays a major role in virulence gene regulation. Accordingly, rny deletion mutants demonstrated impaired virulence in a murine bacteraemia model. RNase Y is important for the processing and stabilization of the immature transcript of the global virulence regulator system SaePQRS. Moreover, RNase Y is involved in the activation of virulence gene expression at the promoter level. This control is independent of both the virulence regulator agr and the saePQRS processing and may be mediated by small RNAs some of which were shown to be degraded by RNase Y. Besides this regulatory effect, mRNA levels of several operons were significantly increased in the rny mutant and the half-life of one of these operons was shown to be extremely extended. However, the half-life of many mRNA species was not significantly altered. Thus, RNase Y in S. aureus influences mRNA expression in a tightly controlled regulatory manner and is essential for coordinated activation of virulence genes.
  Molecular Microbiology 07/2012; 85(5):817-32. · 5.01 Impact Factor