scholarly journals Pseudomonas aeruginosa injects NDK into host cells through a type III secretion system

Microbiology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 160 (7) ◽  
pp. 1417-1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Neeld ◽  
Yongxin Jin ◽  
Candace Bichsel ◽  
Jinghua Jia ◽  
Jianhui Guo ◽  
...  

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic human pathogen possessing a type III secretion system (T3SS) which injects toxic effector proteins into mammalian host cells. In previous studies, P. aeruginosa strains lacking all of the known type III effectors were shown to cause cytotoxicity upon prolonged infection time. In this study, we report the identification of a new cytotoxin, nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), which is injected into eukaryotic cells in a T3SS-dependent manner. Injection of NDK is inhibited by the presence of previously known effectors of the T3SS, with an effectorless strain injecting the highest amount, suggesting active competition with the known T3SS effectors. NDK is shown to cause a cytotoxic response when expressed in eukaryotic cells, and P. aeruginosa strains harbouring NDK also show a greater toxicity than strains lacking it. Interestingly, the cytotoxic effect of intracellular NDK is independent of its kinase activity. In previous studies, NDK was shown to be secreted into culture supernatants via a type I secretion system and cause cytotoxicity in a kinase-dependent manner. Therefore, the current study highlights an alternative route of NDK secretion as well as two different cytotoxic mechanisms of NDK, depending on the extra- or intra-cellular location of the protein.

2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 3334-3341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandini Dasgupta ◽  
Alix Ashare ◽  
Gary W. Hunninghake ◽  
Timothy L. Yahr

ABSTRACT The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa utilizes a type III secretion system (T3SS) to intoxicate eukaryotic host cells. Transcription of the T3SS is induced under calcium-limited growth conditions or following intimate contact of P. aeruginosa with host cells. In the present study, we demonstrate that expression of the T3SS is controlled by two distinct regulatory mechanisms and that these mechanisms are differentially activated in a host cell-dependent manner. The first mechanism is dependent upon ExsC, a regulatory protein that couples transcription of the T3SS to the activity of the type III secretion machinery. ExsC is essential for induction of the T3SS under low-calcium-growth conditions and for T3SS-dependent cytotoxicity towards social amoebae, insect cells, and erythrocytes. The second regulatory mechanism functions independently of ExsC and is sufficient to elicit T3SS-dependent cytotoxicity towards certain types of mammalian cells. Although this second pathway (ExsC independent) is sufficient, an exsC mutant demonstrates a lag in the induction of cytotoxicity towards Chinese hamster ovary cells and is attenuated for virulence in a mouse pneumonia model. We propose that the ExsC-dependent pathway is required for full cytotoxicity towards all host cell types tested whereas the ExsC-independent pathway may represent an adaptation that allows P. aeruginosa to increase expression of the T3SS in response to specific types of mammalian cells.


2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Josh S. Sharp ◽  
Arne Rietsch ◽  
Simon L. Dove

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen that employs a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject effector proteins into host cells. Using a protein depletion system, we show that the endoribonuclease RNase E positively regulates expression of the T3SS genes. We also present evidence that RNase E antagonizes the expression of genes of the type VI secretion system and limits biofilm production in P. aeruginosa. Thus, RNase E, which is thought to be the principal endoribonuclease involved in the initiation of RNA degradation in P. aeruginosa, plays a key role in controlling the production of factors involved in both acute and chronic stages of infection. Although the posttranscriptional regulator RsmA is also known to positively regulate expression of the T3SS genes, we find that RNase E does not appreciably influence the abundance of RsmA in P. aeruginosa. Moreover, we show that RNase E still exerts its effects on T3SS gene expression in cells lacking all four of the key small regulatory RNAs that function by sequestering RsmA. IMPORTANCE The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a protein complex produced by many Gram-negative pathogens. It is capable of injecting effector proteins into host cells that can manipulate cell metabolism and have toxic effects. Understanding how the T3SS is regulated is important in understanding the pathogenesis of bacteria with such systems. Here, we show that RNase E, which is typically thought of as a global regulator of RNA stability, plays a role in regulating the T3SS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Depleting RNase E results in the loss of T3SS gene expression as well as a concomitant increase in biofilm formation. These observations are reminiscent of the phenotypes associated with the loss of activity of the posttranscriptional regulator RsmA. However, RNase E-mediated regulation of these systems does not involve changes in the abundance of RsmA and is independent of the known small regulatory RNAs that modulate RsmA activity.


mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cedric N. Berger ◽  
Valerie F. Crepin ◽  
Kobi Baruch ◽  
Aurelie Mousnier ◽  
Ilan Rosenshine ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTranslocation of effector proteins via a type III secretion system (T3SS) is a widespread infection strategy among Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Each pathogen translocates a particular set of effectors that subvert cell signaling in a way that suits its particular infection cycle. However, as effector unbalance might lead to cytotoxicity, the pathogens must employ mechanisms that regulate the intracellular effector concentration. We present evidence that the effector EspZ controls T3SS effector translocation from enteropathogenic (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic (EHEC)Escherichia coli. Consistently, an EPECespZmutant is highly cytotoxic. Following ectopic expression, we found that EspZ inhibited the formation of actin pedestals as it blocked the translocation of Tir, as well as other effectors, including Map and EspF. Moreover, during infection EspZ inhibited effector translocation following superinfection. Importantly, while EspZ of EHEC O157:H7 had a universal “translocation stop” activity, EspZ of EPEC inhibited effector translocation from typical EPEC strains but not from EHEC O157:H7 or its progenitor, atypical EPEC O55:H7. We found that the N and C termini of EspZ, which contains two transmembrane domains, face the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane at the site of bacterial attachment, while the extracellular loop of EspZ is responsible for its strain-specific activity. These results show that EPEC and EHEC acquired a sophisticated mechanism to regulate the effector translocation.IMPORTANCEEnteropathogenicEscherichia coli(EPEC) and enterohemorrhagicE. coli(EHEC) are important diarrheal pathogens responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries and the developed world, respectively. The virulence strategy of EPEC and EHEC revolves around a conserved type III secretion system (T3SS), which translocates bacterial proteins known as effectors directly into host cells. Previous studies have shown that when cells are infected in two waves with EPEC, the first wave inhibits effector translocation by the second wave in a T3SS-dependent manner, although the factor involved was not known. Importantly, we identified EspZ as the effector responsible for blocking protein translocation following a secondary EPEC infection. Interestingly, we found that while EspZ of EHEC can block protein translocation from both EPEC and EHEC strains, EPEC EspZ cannot block translocation from EHEC. These studies show that EPEC and EHEC employ a novel infection strategy to regulate T3SS translocation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 574-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian K. Coombes ◽  
Michael J. Lowden ◽  
Jennifer L. Bishop ◽  
Mark E. Wickham ◽  
Nat F. Brown ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Bacterial pathogens use horizontal gene transfer to acquire virulence factors that influence host colonization, alter virulence traits, and ultimately shape the outcome of disease following infection. One hallmark of the host-pathogen interaction is the prokaryotic type III secretion system that translocates virulence factors into host cells during infection. Salmonella enterica possesses two type III secretion systems that are utilized during host colonization and intracellular replication. Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI2) is a genomic island containing approximately 30 contiguous genes required to assemble a functional secretion system including the two-component regulatory system called SsrA-SsrB that positively regulates transcription of the secretion apparatus. We used transcriptional profiling with DNA microarrays to search for genes that coregulate with the SPI2 type III secretion machinery in an SsrB-dependent manner. Here we report the identification of a Salmonella-specific translocated effector called SseL that is required for full virulence during murine typhoid-like disease. Analysis of infected macrophages using fluorescence-activated cell sorting revealed that sseL is induced inside cells and requires SsrB for expression. SseL is retained predominantly in the cytoplasm of infected cells following translocation by the type III system encoded in SPI2. Animal infection experiments with sseL mutant bacteria indicate that integration of SseL into the SsrB response regulatory system contributes to systemic virulence of this pathogen.


2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (7) ◽  
pp. 4327-4337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen J. Kanack ◽  
J. Adam Crawford ◽  
Ichiro Tatsuno ◽  
Mohamed A. Karmali ◽  
James B. Kaper

ABSTRACT Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a major bacterial cause of infantile diarrhea in developing countries and is the prototype for a group of gastrointestinal pathogens causing characteristic attaching and effacing (A/E) histopathology on intestinal epithelia. A/E pathogens utilize a type III secretion system (TTSS), encoded by the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island, to deliver effector proteins into host cells. Here, we investigate sequence divergence of the LEE-encoded SepZ protein and identify it as a TTSS-secreted and -translocated molecule. SepZ is hypervariable among A/E pathogens, with sequences sharing between 60 to 81% amino acid identity with SepZ of EPEC. A SepZ-CyaA fusion was secreted and translocated into HeLa cells in a TTSS-dependent manner. Additionally, we determined that the first 20 amino acids of SepZ were sufficient to direct its translocation. In contrast to previous studies suggesting a role in invasion and the structure and/or regulation of the TTSS, we found that SepZ does not mediate uptake of EPEC into host cells or affect translocation and tyrosine phosphorylation of the translocated intimin receptor. Immunohistochemistry reveals that, after an extended HeLa cell infection, accumulated SepZ can be detected beneath the site of bacterial attachment in a subset of pedestal regions. To indicate its newly identified status as a translocated effector protein, we propose to rename SepZ as EspZ.


2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (17) ◽  
pp. 6078-6087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Peng Gao ◽  
Pin Nie ◽  
Jin Fang Lu ◽  
Lu Yi Liu ◽  
Tiao Yi Xiao ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe type III secretion system (T3SS) ofEdwardsiella tardaplays an important role in infection by translocating effector proteins into host cells. EseB, a component required for effector translocation, is reported to mediate autoaggregation ofE. tarda. In this study, we demonstrate that EseB forms filamentous appendages on the surface ofE. tardaand is required for biofilm formation byE. tardain Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM). Biofilm formation byE. tardain DMEM does not require FlhB, an essential component for assembling flagella. Dynamic analysis of EseB filament formation, autoaggregation, and biofilm formation shows that the formation of EseB filaments occurs prior to autoaggregation and biofilm formation. The addition of an EseB antibody toE. tardacultures before bacterial autoaggregation prevents autoaggregation and biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the addition of the EseB antibody toE. tardacultures in which biofilm is already formed does not destroy the biofilm. Therefore, EseB filament-mediated bacterial cell-cell interaction is a prerequisite for autoaggregation and biofilm formation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 3436-3445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Xia Xie ◽  
Jin-Fang Lu ◽  
Nathalie Rolhion ◽  
David W. Holden ◽  
Pin Nie ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMany Gram-negative bacteria utilize a type III secretion system (T3SS) to translocate virulence proteins into host cells to cause diseases. In responding to infection, macrophages detect some of the translocated proteins to activate caspase-1-mediated cell death, called pyroptosis, and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines to control the infection.Edwardsiella tardais a Gram-negative enteric pathogen that causes hemorrhagic septicemia in fish and both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal infections in humans. In this study, we report that the T3SS ofE. tardafacilitates its survival and replication in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages, andE. tardainfection triggers pyroptosis of infected macrophages from mice and fish and increased secretion of the cytokine interleukin 1β in a T3SS-dependent manner. Deletion of the flagellin genefliCofE. tardaresults in decreased cytotoxicity for infected macrophages and does not attenuate its virulence in a fish model of infection, whereas upregulated expression of FliC in thefliCmutant strain reduces its virulence. We propose that the host controlsE. tardainfection partially by detecting FliC translocated by the T3SS, whereas the bacteria downregulate the expression of FliC to evade innate immunity.


2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 5964-5976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel V. Zurawski ◽  
Chieko Mitsuhata ◽  
Karen L. Mumy ◽  
Beth A. McCormick ◽  
Anthony T. Maurelli

ABSTRACT Shigella flexneri is the causative agent of dysentery, and its pathogenesis is mediated by a type III secretion system (T3SS). S. flexneri secretes effector proteins into the eukaryotic cell via the T3SS, and these proteins usurp host cellular functions to the benefit of the bacteria. OspF and OspC1 are known to be secreted by S. flexneri, but their functions are unknown. We transformed S. flexneri with a plasmid that expresses a two-hemagglutinin tag (2HA) in frame with OspF or OspC1 and verified that these proteins are secreted in a T3SS-dependent manner. Immunofluorescence of HeLa cells infected with S. flexneri expressing OspF-2HA or OspC1-2HA revealed that both proteins localize in the nucleus and cytoplasm of host cells. To elucidate the function of these T3SS effectors, we constructed ΔospF and ΔospC1 deletion mutants by allelic exchange. We found that ΔospF and ΔospC1 mutants invade host cells and form plaques in confluent monolayers similar to wild-type S. flexneri. However, in the polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell migration assay, a decrease in neutrophil migration was observed for both mutants in comparison to the migration of wild-type bacteria. Moreover, infection of polarized T84 intestinal cells infected with ΔospF and ΔospC1 mutants resulted in decreased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in comparison to that of T84 cells infected with wild-type S. flexneri. To date, these are the first examples of T3SS effectors implicated in mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway activation. Ultimately, OspF and OspC1 are essential for PMN transepithelial migration, a phenotype associated with increased inflammation and bacterial access to the submucosa, which are fundamental aspects of S. flexneri pathogenesis.


2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 2211-2220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas O. Bowlin ◽  
John D. Williams ◽  
Claire A. Knoten ◽  
Matthew C. Torhan ◽  
Tommy F. Tashjian ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe type III secretion system (T3SS) is a clinically important virulence mechanism inPseudomonas aeruginosathat secretes and translocates effector toxins into host cells, impeding the host's rapid innate immune response to infection. Inhibitors of T3SS may be useful as prophylactic or adjunctive therapeutic agents to augment the activity of antibiotics inP. aeruginosainfections, such as pneumonia and bacteremia. One such inhibitor, the phenoxyacetamide MBX 1641, exhibits very responsive structure-activity relationships, including striking stereoselectivity, in its inhibition ofP. aeruginosaT3SS. These features suggest interaction with a specific, but unknown, protein target. Here, we identify the apparent molecular target by isolating inhibitor-resistant mutants and mapping the mutation sites by deep sequencing. Selection and sequencing of four independent mutants resistant to the phenoxyacetamide inhibitor MBX 2359 identified the T3SS genepscF, encoding the needle apparatus, as the only locus of mutations common to all four strains. Transfer of the wild-type and mutated alleles ofpscF, together with its chaperone and cochaperone genespscEandpscG, to a ΔpscF P. aeruginosastrain demonstrated that each of the single-codon mutations inpscFis necessary and sufficient to provide secretion and translocation that is resistant to a variety of phenoxyacetamide inhibitor analogs but not to T3SS inhibitors with different chemical scaffolds. These results implicate the PscF needle protein as an apparent new molecular target for T3SS inhibitor discovery and suggest that three other chemically distinct T3SS inhibitors interact with one or more different targets or a different region of PscF.


2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubham Chakravarty ◽  
Cameron N. Melton ◽  
Adam Bailin ◽  
Timothy L. Yahr ◽  
Gregory G. Anderson

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes numerous acute and chronic opportunistic infections in humans. One of its most formidable weapons is a type III secretion system (T3SS), which injects powerful toxins directly into host cells. The toxins lead to cell dysfunction and, ultimately, cell death. Identification of regulatory pathways that control T3SS gene expression may lead to the discovery of novel therapeutics to treat P. aeruginosa infections. In a previous study, we found that expression of the magnesium transporter gene mgtE inhibits T3SS gene transcription. MgtE-dependent inhibition appeared to interfere with the synthesis or function of the master T3SS transcriptional activator ExsA, although the exact mechanism was unclear. We now demonstrate that mgtE expression acts through the GacAS two-component system to activate rsmY and rsmZ transcription. This event ultimately leads to inhibition of exsA translation. This inhibitory effect is specific to exsA as translation of other genes in the exsCEBA operon is not inhibited by mgtE. Moreover, our data reveal that MgtE acts solely through this pathway to regulate T3SS gene transcription. Our study reveals an important mechanism that may allow P. aeruginosa to fine-tune T3SS activity in response to certain environmental stimuli. IMPORTANCE The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a critical virulence factor utilized by numerous Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to intoxicate and kill host cells. Elucidating T3SS regulatory mechanisms may uncover targets for novel anti-P. aeruginosa therapeutics and provide deeper understanding of bacterial pathogenesis. We previously found that the magnesium transporter MgtE inhibits T3SS gene transcription in P. aeruginosa. In this study, we describe the mechanism of MgtE-dependent inhibition of the T3SS. Our report also illustrates how MgtE might respond to environmental cues, such as magnesium levels, to fine-tune T3SS gene expression.


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