scholarly journals Defining the Ail Ligand-Binding Surface: Hydrophobic Residues in Two Extracellular Loops Mediate Cell and Extracellular Matrix Binding To Facilitate Yop Delivery

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany M. Tsang ◽  
Jeffrey S. Wiese ◽  
Jamal A. Alhabeil ◽  
Lisa D. Usselman ◽  
Joshua J. Thomson ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, binds host cells to deliver cytotoxic Yop proteins into the cytoplasm that prevent phagocytosis and generation of proinflammatory cytokines. Ail is an eight-stranded β-barrel outer membrane protein with four extracellular loops that mediates cell binding and resistance to human serum. Following the deletion of each of the four extracellular loops that potentially interact with host cells, the Ail-Δloop 2 and Ail-Δloop 3 mutant proteins had no cell-binding activity while Ail-Δloop 4 maintained cell binding (the Ail-Δloop 1 protein was unstable). Using the codon mutagenesis scheme SWIM (selection without isolation of mutants), we identified individual residues in loops 1, 2, and 3 that contribute to host cell binding. While several residues contributed to the binding of host cells and purified fibronectin and laminin, as well as Yop delivery, three mutations, F80A (loop 2), S128A (loop 3), and F130A (loop 3), produced particularly severe defects in cell binding. Combining these mutations led to an even greater reduction in cell binding and severely impaired Yop delivery with only a slight defect in serum resistance. These findings demonstrate that Y. pestis Ail uses multiple extracellular loops to interact with substrates important for adhesion via polyvalent hydrophobic interactions.

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (10) ◽  
pp. 3490-3500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Hatkoff ◽  
Lisa M. Runco ◽  
Celine Pujol ◽  
Indralatha Jayatilaka ◽  
Martha B. Furie ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTYersinia pestisand many other Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria use the chaperone/usher (CU) pathway to assemble virulence-associated surface fibers termed pili or fimbriae.Y. pestishas two well-characterized CU pathways: thecafgenes coding for the F1 capsule and thepsagenes coding for the pH 6 antigen. TheY. pestisgenome contains additional CU pathways that are capable of assembling pilus fibers, but the roles of these pathways in the pathogenesis of plague are not understood. We constructed deletion mutations in the usher genes for six of the additionalY. pestisCU pathways. The wild-type (WT) and usher deletion strains were compared in the murine bubonic (subcutaneous) and pneumonic (intranasal) plague infection models.Y. pestisstrains containing deletions in CU pathwaysy0348-0352,y1858-1862, andy1869-1873were attenuated for virulence compared to the WT strain by the intranasal, but not subcutaneous, routes of infection, suggesting specific roles for these pathways during pneumonic plague. We examined binding of theY. pestisWT and usher deletion strains to A549 human lung epithelial cells, HEp-2 human cervical epithelial cells, and primary human and murine macrophages.Y. pestisCU pathwaysy0348-0352andy1858-1862were found to contribute to adhesion to all host cells tested, whereas pathwayy1869-1873was specific for binding to macrophages. The correlation between the virulence attenuation and host cell binding phenotypes of the usher deletion mutants identifies three of the additional CU pathways ofY. pestisas mediating interactions with host cells that are important for the pathogenesis of plague.


2018 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnan Raghunathan ◽  
Nora J. Foegeding ◽  
Anne M. Campbell ◽  
Timothy L. Cover ◽  
Melanie D. Ohi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTHelicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium, is a well-known risk factor for gastric cancer.H. pylorivacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) is a secreted pore-forming toxin that induces a wide range of cellular responses. Like many other bacterial toxins, VacA has been hypothesized to utilize lipid rafts to gain entry into host cells. Here, we used giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs) as a model system to understand the preferential partitioning of VacA into lipid rafts. We show that a wild-type (WT) toxin predominantly associates with the raft phase. Acid activation of VacA enhances binding of the toxin to GPMVs but is not required for raft partitioning. VacA mutant proteins with alterations at the amino terminus (resulting in impaired membrane channel formation) and a nonoligomerizing VacA mutant protein retain the ability to preferentially associate with lipid rafts. Consistent with these results, the isolated VacA p55 domain was capable of binding to lipid rafts. We conclude that the affinity of VacA for rafts is independent of its capacity to oligomerize or form membrane channels.


2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 1104-1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Coppenhagen-Glazer ◽  
A. Sol ◽  
J. Abed ◽  
R. Naor ◽  
X. Zhang ◽  
...  

Fusobacterium nucleatumis a common oral anaerobe involved in periodontitis that is known to translocate and cause intrauterine infections. In the oral environment,F. nucleatumadheres to a large diversity of species, facilitating their colonization and creating biological bridges that stabilize the multispecies dental biofilm. Many of these interactions (called coadherences or coaggregations) are galactose sensitive. Galactose-sensitive interactions are also involved in the binding ofF. nucleatumto host cells. Hemagglutination of someF. nucleatumstrains is also galactose sensitive, suggesting that a single galactose-sensitive adhesin might mediate the interaction of fusobacteria with many partners and targets. In order to identify the fusobacterial galactose-sensitive adhesin, a system for transposon mutagenesis in fusobacteria was created. The mutant library was screened for hemagglutination deficiency, and three clones were isolated. All three clones were found to harbor the transposon in the gene coding for the Fap2 outer membrane autotransporter. The threefap2mutants failed to show galactose-inhibitable coaggregation withPorphyromonas gingivalisand were defective in cell binding. Afap2mutant also showed a 2-log reduction in murine placental colonization compared to that of the wild type. Our results suggest that Fap2 is a galactose-sensitive hemagglutinin and adhesin that is likely to play a role in the virulence of fusobacteria.


1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 4862-4869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg F. Rippmann ◽  
Michaela Klein ◽  
Christian Hoischen ◽  
Bodo Brocks ◽  
Wolfgang J. Rettig ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Recently it has been demonstrated that L-form cells ofProteus mirabilis (L VI), which lack a periplasmic compartment, can be efficiently used in the production and secretion of heterologous proteins. In search of novel expression systems for recombinant antibodies, we compared levels of single-chain variable-fragment (scFv) production in Escherichia coliJM109 and P. mirabilis L VI, which express four distinct scFvs of potential clinical interest that show differences in levels of expression and in their tendencies to form aggregates upon periplasmic expression. Production of all analyzed scFvs in E. coli was limited by the severe toxic effect of the heterologous product as indicated by inhibition of culture growth and the formation of insoluble aggregates in the periplasmic space, limiting the yield of active product. In contrast, the L-form cells exhibited nearly unlimited growth under the tested production conditions for all scFvs examined. Moreover, expression experiments with P. mirabilis L VI led to scFv concentrations in the range of 40 to 200 mg per liter of culture medium (corresponding to volume yields 33- to 160-fold higher than those with E. coli JM109), depending on the expressed antibody. In a translocation inhibition experiment the secretion of the scFv constructs was shown to be an active transport coupled to the signal cleavage. We suppose that this direct release of the newly synthesized product into a large volume of the growth medium favors folding into the native active structure. The limited aggregation of scFv observed in the P. mirabilis L VI supernatant (occurring in a first-order-kinetics manner) was found to be due to intrinsic features of the scFv and not related to the expression process of the host cells. The P. mirabilis L VI supernatant was found to be advantageous for scFv purification. A two-step chromatography procedure led to homogeneous scFv with high antigen binding activity as revealed from binding experiments with eukaryotic cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas M. Negretti ◽  
Christopher R. Gourley ◽  
Prabhat K. Talukdar ◽  
Geremy Clair ◽  
Courtney M. Klappenbach ◽  
...  

AbstractCampylobacter jejuni is a foodborne pathogen that binds to and invades the epithelial cells lining the human intestinal tract. Maximal invasion of host cells by C. jejuni requires cell binding as well as delivery of the Cia proteins (Campylobacter invasion antigens) to the host cell cytosol via the flagellum. Here, we show that CiaD binds to the host cell protein IQGAP1 (a Ras GTPase-activating-like protein), thus displacing RacGAP1 from the IQGAP1 complex. This, in turn, leads to the unconstrained activity of the small GTPase Rac1, which is known to have roles in actin reorganization and internalization of C. jejuni. Our results represent the identification of a host cell protein targeted by a flagellar secreted effector protein and demonstrate that C. jejuni-stimulated Rac signaling is dependent on IQGAP1.


2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 2089-2098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seongok Kim ◽  
Hyelyeon Hwang ◽  
Kwang-Pyo Kim ◽  
Hyunjin Yoon ◽  
Dong-Hyun Kang ◽  
...  

Cronobacterspp. are opportunistic pathogens that cause neonatal meningitis and sepsis with high mortality in neonates. Despite the peril associated withCronobacterinfection, the mechanisms of pathogenesis are still being unraveled. Hfq, which is known as an RNA chaperone, participates in the interaction with bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) to regulate posttranscriptionally the expression of various genes. Recent studies have demonstrated that Hfq contributes to the pathogenesis of numerous species of bacteria, and its roles are varied between bacterial species. Here, we tried to elucidate the role of Hfq inC. sakazakiivirulence. In the absence ofhfq,C. sakazakiiwas highly attenuated in disseminationin vivo, showed defects in invasion (3-fold) into animal cells and survival (103-fold) within host cells, and exhibited low resistance to hydrogen peroxide (102-fold). Remarkably, the loss ofhfqled to hypermotility on soft agar, which is contrary to what has been observed in other pathogenic bacteria. The hyperflagellated bacteria were likely to be attributable to the increased transcription of genes associated with flagellar biosynthesis in a strain lackinghfq. Together, these data strongly suggest thathfqplays important roles in the virulence ofC. sakazakiiby participating in the regulation of multiple genes.


2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (22) ◽  
pp. 6879-6887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pin Yu ◽  
Shui-Ping Liu ◽  
Qing-Ting Bu ◽  
Zhen-Xing Zhou ◽  
Zhen-Hong Zhu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTDetailed mechanisms ofWhiB-like (Wbl) proteins involved in antibiotic biosynthesis and morphological differentiation are poorly understood. Here, we characterize the role of WblAch, aStreptomyces chattanoogensisL10 protein belonging to this superfamily. Based on DNA microarray data and verified by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), the expression ofwblAchwas shown to be positively regulated by AdpAch. Gel retardation assays and DNase I footprinting experiments showed that AdpAchhas specific DNA-binding activity for the promoter region ofwblAch. Gene disruption and genetic complementation revealed that WblAchacts in a positive manner to regulate natamycin production. WhenwblAchwas overexpressed in the wild-type strain, the natamycin yield was increased by ∼30%. This provides a strategy to generate improved strains for natamycin production. Moreover, transcriptional analysis showed that the expression levels ofwhigenes (includingwhiA,whiB,whiH, andwhiI) were severely depressed in the ΔwblAchmutant, suggesting that WblAchplays a part in morphological differentiation by influencing the expression of thewhigenes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 552-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Hillier ◽  
Victor D. Vacquier

Amassin-1 mediates a rapid cell adhesion that tightly adheres sea urchin coelomocytes (body cavity immunocytes) together. Three major structural regions exist in amassin-1: a short β region, 3 coiled coils, and an olfactomedin domain. Amassin-1 contains 8 disulfide-bonded cysteines that, upon reduction, render it inactive. Truncated forms of recombinant amassin-1 were expressed and purified from Pichia pastoris and their disulfide bonding and biological activities investigated. Expressed alone, the olfactomedin domain contained 2 intramolecular disulfide bonds, existed in a monomeric state, and inhibited amassin-1-mediated clotting of coelomocytes by a calcium-dependent cell-binding activity. The N-terminal β region, containing 3 cysteines, was not required for clotting activity. The coiled coils may dimerize amassin-1 in a parallel orientation through a homodimerizing disulfide bond. Neither amassin-1 fragments that were disulfide-linked as dimers or that were engineered to exist as dimers induced coelomocytes clotting. Clotting required higher multimeric states of amassin-1, possibly tetramers, which occurred through the N-terminal β region and (or) the first segment of coiled coils.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (12) ◽  
pp. 4577-4580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kasiviswanathan ◽  
Jae-Ho Shin ◽  
Zvi Kelman

ABSTRACT The Cdc6 proteins from the archaeon Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus were previously shown to bind double-stranded DNA. It is shown here that the proteins also bind single-stranded DNA. Using minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase mutant proteins unable to bind DNA, it was found that the interaction of MCM with Cdc6 inhibits the DNA binding activity of Cdc6.


mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie A. Cowardin ◽  
Sarah A. Kuehne ◽  
Erica L. Buonomo ◽  
Chelsea S. Marie ◽  
Nigel P. Minton ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT  Clostridium difficileis the most common hospital-acquired pathogen, causing antibiotic-associated diarrhea in over 250,000 patients annually in the United States. Disease is primarily mediated by toxins A and B, which induce potent proinflammatory signaling in host cells and can activate an ASC-containing inflammasome. Recent findings suggest that the intensity of the host response to infection correlates with disease severity. Our lab has identified the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-23 (IL-23) as a pathogenic mediator during C. difficile infection (CDI). The mechanisms by which C. difficile induces IL-23, however, are not well understood, and the role of toxins A and B in this process is unclear. Here, we show that toxins A and B alone are not sufficient for IL-23 production but synergistically increase the amount of IL-23 produced in response to MyD88-dependent danger signals, including pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and host-derived damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Danger signals also enhanced the secretion of IL-1β in response to toxins A and B, and subsequent IL-1 receptor signaling accounted for the majority of the increase in IL-23 that occurred in the presence of the toxins. Inhibition of inflammasome activation in the presence of extracellular K+likewise decreased IL-23 production. Finally, we found that IL-1β was increased in the serum of patients with CDI, suggesting that this systemic response could influence downstream production of pathogenic IL-23. Identification of the synergy of danger signals with toxins A and B via inflammasome signaling represents a novel finding in the mechanistic understanding of C. difficile-induced inflammation.IMPORTANCEClostridium difficileis among the leading causes of death due to health care-associated infection, and factors determining disease severity are not well understood. C. difficile secretes toxins A and B, which cause inflammation and tissue damage, and recent findings suggest that some of this tissue damage may be due to an inappropriate host immune response. We have found that toxins A and B, in combination with both bacterium- and host-derived danger signals, can induce expression of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-23. Our results demonstrate that IL-1β signaling enhances IL-23 production and could lead to increased pathogenic inflammation during CDI.


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