Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T01:12:17.316Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effect of stress on microbial growth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2014

Mark Lyte*
Affiliation:
Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 1718 Pine Street, Abilene, Texas, USA
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: mark.lyte@ttuhsc.edu

Abstract

The neurophysiological response of an animal to stress involves the production of a number of stress-related neurochemicals including the catecholamines norepinephrine and epinephrine. It is generally believed that such neurochemicals belong exclusively to the animal kingdom and that any role such neurochemicals play in the infective process is largely confined to host physiology and immunology-related parameters. This, however, is wholly incorrect as many of the bacterial species that are known to cause infections possess the capacity to not only recognize neuroendocrine hormones produced by the host in response to stress, but also synthesize the very same neurochemicals. Given this, infectious microorganisms are capable of directly responding to the neurochemical outflow resulting from a stress event and initiating pathogenic processes. Although the neuroendocrine environment of the lung following a stress event is not fully understood, it most likely possesses abundant levels of stress-related neurochemicals due to its rich blood supply and rich noradrenergic tissue innervation. The ability of microorganisms to recognize and produce neurochemicals that can influence the host, known as microbial endocrinology, provides for a mechanistic basis with which to examine the ability of stress to influence health and susceptibility to disease.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, MT and Armstrong, SK (2008). Norepinephrine mediates acquisition of transferrin-iron in Bordetella bronchiseptica. Journal of Bacteriology 190: 39403947.Google Scholar
Bearson, BL, Bearson, SM, Uthe, JJ, Dowd, SE, Houghton, JO, Lee, I, Toscano, MJ and Lay, DC Jr, (2008). Iron regulated genes of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium in response to norepinephrine and the requirement of fepDGC for norepinephrine-enhanced growth. Microbes Infect 10: 807816.Google Scholar
Belay, T and Sonnenfeld, G (2002). Differential effects of catecholamines on in vitro growth of pathogenic bacteria. Life Sciences 71: 447456.Google Scholar
Belvisi, MG (2002). Overview of the innervation of the lung. Current Opinion in Pharmacology, 2: 211215.Google Scholar
Bhat, R, Axtell, R, Mitra, A, Miranda, M, Lock, C, Tsien, RW and Steinman, L (2010). Inhibitory role for GABA in autoimmune inflammation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107: 25802585.Google Scholar
Bjurstom, H, Wang, J, Ericsson, I, Bengtsson, M, Liu, Y, Kumar-Mendu, S, Issazadeh-Navikas, S and Birnir, B (2008). GABA, a natural immunomodulator of T lymphocytes. Journal of Neuroimmunology 205: 4450.Google Scholar
Budrene, EO and Berg, HC (1991). Complex patterns formed by motile cells of Escherichia coli. Nature 349: 630633.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Di Cagno, R, Mazzacane, F, Rizzello, CG, De Angelis, M, Giuliani, G, Meloni, M, De Servi, B and Gobbetti, M (2010). Synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by Lactobacillus plantarum DSM19463: functional grape must beverage and dermatological applications. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 86: 731741.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guthrie, GD, Nicholson-Guthrie, CS and Leary, HL Jr, (2000). A bacterial high-affinity GABA binding protein: isolation and characterization. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 268: 6568.Google Scholar
Hofford, JM, Milakofsky, L, Pell, S and Vogel, W (1996). A profile of amino acid and catecholamine levels during endotoxin-induced acute lung injury in sheep: searching for potential markers of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 128: 545551.Google Scholar
Iyer, LM, Aravind, L, Coon, SL, Klein, DC and Koonin, EV (2004). Evolution of cell-cell signaling in animals: did late horizontal gene transfer from bacteria have a role? Trends in Genetics 20: 292299.Google Scholar
Leroith, D, Delahunty, G, Wilson, GL, Roberts, CT Jr, Shemer, J, Hart, C, Lesniak, MA, Shiloach, J and Roth, J (1986). Evolutionary aspects of the endocrine and nervous systems. Recent Progress in Hormone Research 42: 549587.Google ScholarPubMed
Lyte, M (1993). The role of microbial endocrinology in infectious disease. Journal of Endocrinology 137: 343345.Google Scholar
Lyte, M (2004). Microbial endocrinology and infectious disease in the 21st century. Trends in Microbiology 12: 1420.Google Scholar
Lyte, M (2010). The microbial organ in the gut as a driver of homeostasis and disease. Medical Hypotheses 74: 634638.Google Scholar
Lyte, M and Ernst, S (1992). Catecholamine induced growth of gram negative bacteria. Life Sciences 50: 203212.Google Scholar
Lyte, M, Arulanandam, BP and Frank, CD (1996). Production of Shiga-like toxins by Escherichia coli O157:H7 can be influenced by the neuroendocrine hormone norepinephrine. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 128: 392398.Google Scholar
Lyte, M, Arulanandam, B, Nguyen, K, Frank, C, Erickson, A and Francis, D (1997). Norepinephrine induced growth and expression of virulence associated factors in enterotoxigenic and enterohemorrhagic strains of Escherichia coli. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 412: 331339.Google Scholar
Lyte, M, Freestone, PP, Neal, CP, Olson, BA, Haigh, RD, Bayston, R, and Williams, PH (2003). Stimulation of Staphylococcus epidermidis growth and biofilm formation by catecholamine inotropes. Lancet 361: 130135.Google Scholar
Miles, AA, Miles, EM and Burke, J (1957). The value and duration of defence reactions of the skin to the primary lodgement of bacteria. British Journal of Experimental Pathology 38: 7996.Google Scholar
Minuk, GY (1986). Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production by eight common bacterial pathogens. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases 18: 465467.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nakano, M, Takahashi, A, Sakai, Y, Kawano, M, Harada, N, Mawatari, K and Nakaya, Y (2007). Catecholamine-induced stimulation of growth in Vibrio species. Letters in Applied Microbiology 44: 649653.Google Scholar
Nguyen, KT and Lyte, M (1997). Norepinephrine-induced growth and alteration of molecular fingerprints in Escherichia coli O157:H7. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 412: 265267.Google Scholar
Oneal, MJ, Schafer, ER, Madsen, ML and Minion, FC (2008). Global transcriptional analysis of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae following exposure to norepinephrine. Microbiology 154: 25812588.Google Scholar
Peterson, G, Kumar, A, Gart, E and Narayanan, S (2011). Catecholamines increase conjugative gene transfer between enteric bacteria. Microbial Pathogenesis 51: 18.Google Scholar
Rahman, H, Reissbrodt, R and Tschape, H (2000). Effect of norepinephrine on growth of Salmonella and its enterotoxin production. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 38: 285286.Google Scholar
Renaud, M and Miget, A (1930). Role favorisant des perturbations locales causées par l'adrenaline sur le développement des infections microbiennes. Comptes Rendus des Séances de la Société de Biologie et de Ses Filiales 103: 10521054.Google Scholar
Roshchina, VV (2010). Evolutionary considerations of neurotransmitters in microbial, plant and animal cells. In: Lyte, M. and Freestone, P. P. (eds.) Microbial Endocrinology: Interkingdom Signaling in Infectious Disease and Health. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Song, DK, Suh, HW, Huh, SO, Jung, JS, Ihn, BM, Choi, IG and Kim, YH (1998). Central GABAA and GABAB receptor modulation of basal and stress-induced plasma interleukin-6 levels in mice. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 287: 144149.Google Scholar
Wojtarowicz, A, Podlasz, P and Czaja, K (2003). Adrenergic and cholinergic innervation of pulmonary tissue in the pig. Folia Morphologiica 62: 215218.Google Scholar