scholarly journals Pseudomonas aeruginosa Magnesium Transporter MgtE Inhibits Type III Secretion System Gene Expression by Stimulating rsmYZ Transcription

2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubham Chakravarty ◽  
Cameron N. Melton ◽  
Adam Bailin ◽  
Timothy L. Yahr ◽  
Gregory G. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Magnesium Transporter

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.

scholarly journals RNase E Promotes Expression of Type III Secretion System Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Josh S. Sharp ◽  
Arne Rietsch ◽  
Simon L. Dove
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Rnase E ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Small Regulatory Rnas

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.

scholarly journals Control of Type III Secretion System Effector/Chaperone Ratio Fosters Pathogen Adaptation to Host-Adherent Lifestyle

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Netanel Elbaz ◽  
Yaakov Socol ◽  
Naama Katsowich ◽  
Ilan Rosenshine
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Host Colonization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Attached State

ABSTRACT The transition from a planktonic lifestyle to a host-attached state is often critical for bacterial virulence. Upon attachment to host cells, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) employs a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject into the host cells ∼20 effector proteins, including Tir. CesT, which is encoded from the same operon downstream of tir, is a Tir-bound chaperone that facilitates Tir translocation. Upon Tir translocation, the liberated CesT remains in the bacterial cytoplasm and antagonizes the posttranscriptional regulator CsrA, thus eliciting global regulation in the infecting pathogen. Importantly, tight control of the Tir/CesT ratio is vital, since an uncontrolled surge in free CesT levels may repress CsrA in an untimely manner, thus abrogating colonization. We investigated how fluctuations in Tir translation affect the regulation of this ratio. By creating mutations that cause the premature termination of Tir translation, we revealed that the untranslated tir mRNA becomes highly unstable, resulting in a rapid drop in cesT mRNA levels and, thus, CesT levels. This mechanism couples Tir and CesT levels to ensure a stable Tir/CesT ratio. Our results expose an additional level of regulation that enhances the efficacy of the initial interaction of EPEC with the host cell, providing a better understanding of the bacterial switch from the planktonic to the cell-adherent lifestyle. IMPORTANCE Host colonization by extracellular pathogens often entails the transition from a planktonic lifestyle to a host-attached state. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), a Gram-negative pathogen, attaches to the intestinal epithelium of the host and employs a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject effector proteins into the cytoplasm of infected cells. The most abundant effector protein injected is Tir, whose translocation is dependent on the Tir-bound chaperon CesT. Upon Tir injection, the liberated CesT binds to and inhibits the posttranscriptional regulator CsrA, resulting in reprogramming of gene expression in the host-attached bacteria. Thus, adaptation to the host-attached state involves dynamic remodeling of EPEC gene expression, which is mediated by the relative levels of Tir and CesT. Fluctuating from the optimal Tir/CesT ratio results in a decrease in EPEC virulence. Here we elucidate a posttranscriptional circuit that prevents sharp variations from this ratio, thus improving host colonization.

scholarly journals The RNA Helicase DeaD Stimulates ExsA Translation To Promote Expression of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III Secretion System

2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (16) ◽  
pp. 2664-2674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Intile ◽  
Grant J. Balzer ◽  
Matthew C. Wolfgang ◽  
Timothy L. Yahr
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Rna Helicase ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Dead Box

ABSTRACTThePseudomonas aeruginosatype III secretion system (T3SS) is a primary virulence factor important for phagocytic avoidance, disruption of host cell signaling, and host cell cytotoxicity. ExsA is the master regulator of T3SS transcription. The expression, synthesis, and activity of ExsA is tightly regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic regulation consists of the well-characterized ExsECDA partner-switching cascade, while extrinsic factors include global regulators that alterexsAtranscription and/or translation. To identify novel extrinsic regulators of ExsA, we conducted a transposon mutagenesis screen in the absence of intrinsic control. Transposon disruptions within gene PA2840, which encodes a homolog of theEscherichia coliRNA-helicase DeaD, significantly reduced T3SS gene expression. Recent studies indicate thatE. coliDeaD can promote translation by relieving inhibitory secondary structures within target mRNAs. We report here that PA2840, renamed DeaD, stimulates ExsA synthesis at the posttranscriptional level. Genetic experiments demonstrate that the activity of anexsAtranslational fusion is reduced in adeaDmutant. In addition,exsAexpression intransfails to restore T3SS gene expression in adeaDmutant. We hypothesized that DeaD relaxes mRNA secondary structure to promoteexsAtranslation and found that altering the mRNA sequence ofexsAor the nativeexsAShine-Dalgarno sequence relieved the requirement for DeaDin vivo. Finally, we show that purified DeaD promotes ExsA synthesis usingin vitrotranslation assays. Together, these data reveal a novel regulatory mechanism forP. aeruginosaDeaD and add to the complexity of global regulation of T3SS.IMPORTANCEAlthough members of the DEAD box family of RNA helicases are appreciated for their roles in mRNA degradation and ribosome biogenesis, an additional role in gene regulation is now emerging in bacteria. By relaxing secondary structures in mRNAs, DEAD box helicases are now thought to promote translation by enhancing ribosomal recruitment. We identify here an RNA helicase that plays a critical role in promoting ExsA synthesis, the central regulator of thePseudomonas aeruginosatype III secretion system, and provide additional evidence that DEAD box helicases directly stimulate translation of target genes. The finding that DeaD stimulatesexsAtranslation adds to a growing list of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms that control type III gene expression.

scholarly journals Mutations in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Needle Protein GenepscFConfer Resistance to Phenoxyacetamide Inhibitors of the Type III Secretion System

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 2211-2220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas O. Bowlin ◽  
John D. Williams ◽  
Claire A. Knoten ◽  
Matthew C. Torhan ◽  
Tommy F. Tashjian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Molecular Target ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Unknown Protein ◽  
Needle Protein

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.

scholarly journals The Importance of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III Secretion System in Epithelium Traversal Depends upon Conditions of Host Susceptibility

2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 1629-1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron B. Sullivan ◽  
K. P. Connie Tam ◽  
Matteo M. E. Metruccio ◽  
David J. Evans ◽  
Suzanne M. J. Fleiszig
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Host Susceptibility ◽  
Antigen Challenge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tissue Paper ◽  
Type Iii

Pseudomonas aeruginosais invasive or cytotoxic to host cells, depending on the type III secretion system (T3SS) effectors encoded. While the T3SS is known to be involved in diseasein vivo, how it participates remains to be clarified. Here, mouse models of superficial epithelial injury (tissue paper blotting with EGTA treatment) and immunocompromise (MyD88 deficiency) were used to study the contribution of the T3SS transcriptional activator ExsA to epithelial traversal. Corneas of excised eyeballs were inoculated with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing PAO1 or isogenicexsAmutants for 6 hex vivobefore bacterial traversal and epithelial thickness were quantified by using imaging. In the blotting-EGTA model,exsAmutants were defective in capacity for traversal. Accordingly, an ∼16-fold variability inexsAexpression among PAO1 isolates from three sources correlated with epithelial loss. In contrast, MyD88−/−epithelia remained susceptible toP. aeruginosatraversal despiteexsAmutation. Epithelial lysates from MyD88−/−mice had reduced antimicrobial activity compared to those from wild-type mice with and without prior antigen challenge, particularly 30- to 100-kDa fractions, for which mass spectrometry revealed multiple differences, including (i) lower baseline levels of histones, tubulin, and lumican and (ii) reduced glutathioneS-transferase, annexin, and dermatopontin, after antigen challenge. Thus, the importance of ExsA in epithelial traversal by invasiveP. aeruginosadepends on the compromise enabling susceptibility, suggesting that strategies for preventing infection will need to extend beyond targeting the T3SS. The data also highlight the importance of mimicking conditions allowing susceptibility in animal models and the need to monitor variability among bacterial isolates from different sources, even for the same strain.

scholarly journals Derivatives of Plant Phenolic Compound Affect the Type III Secretion System of Pseudomonas aeruginosa via a GacS-GacA Two-Component Signal Transduction System

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihiro Yamazaki ◽  
Jin Li ◽  
Quan Zeng ◽  
Devanshi Khokhani ◽  
William C. Hutchins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Small Rnas ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Human Pathogen ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii

ABSTRACTAntibiotic therapy is the most commonly used strategy to control pathogenic infections; however, it has contributed to the generation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To circumvent this emerging problem, we are searching for compounds that target bacterial virulence factors rather than their viability.Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic human pathogen, possesses a type III secretion system (T3SS) as one of the major virulence factors by which it secretes and translocates T3 effector proteins into human host cells. The fact that this human pathogen also is able to infect several plant species led us to screen a library of phenolic compounds involved in plant defense signaling and their derivatives for novel T3 inhibitors. Promoter activity screening ofexoS, which encodes a T3-secreted toxin, identified two T3 inhibitors and two T3 inducers ofP. aeruginosaPAO1. These compounds alterexoStranscription by affecting the expression levels of the regulatory small RNAs RsmY and RsmZ. These two small RNAs are known to control the activity of carbon storage regulator RsmA, which is responsible for the regulation of the key T3SS regulator ExsA. As RsmY and RsmZ are the only targets directly regulated by GacA, our results suggest that these phenolic compounds affect the expression ofexoSthrough the GacSA-RsmYZ-RsmA-ExsA regulatory pathway.

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 ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Mammalian Host ◽  
Type I ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Type Iii

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.

scholarly journals EspZ of Enteropathogenic and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Regulates Type III Secretion System Protein Translocation

mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cedric N. Berger ◽  
Valerie F. Crepin ◽  
Kobi Baruch ◽  
Aurelie Mousnier ◽  
Ilan Rosenshine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Protein Translocation ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii

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.

scholarly journals Novel Type III Effectors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Burstein ◽  
Shirley Satanower ◽  
Michal Simovitch ◽  
Yana Belnik ◽  
Meital Zehavi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Machine Learning Classification ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Wide Range

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen that causes chronic and acute infections in immunocompromised patients. Most P. aeruginosa strains encode an active type III secretion system (T3SS), utilized by the bacteria to deliver effector proteins from the bacterial cell directly into the cytoplasm of the host cell. Four T3SS effectors have been discovered and extensively studied in P. aeruginosa: ExoT, ExoS, ExoU, and ExoY. This is especially intriguing in light of P. aeruginosa's ability to infect a wide range of hosts. We therefore hypothesized that additional T3SS effectors that have not yet been discovered are encoded in the genome of P. aeruginosa. Here, we applied a machine learning classification algorithm to identify novel P. aeruginosa effectors. In this approach, various types of data are integrated to differentiate effectors from the rest of the open reading frames of the bacterial genome. Due to the lack of a sufficient learning set of positive effectors, our machine learning algorithm integrated genomic information from another Pseudomonas species and utilized dozens of features accounting for various aspects of the effector coding genes and their products. Twelve top-ranking predictions were experimentally tested for T3SS-specific translocation, leading to the discovery of two novel T3SS effectors. We demonstrate that these effectors are not part of the injection structural complex and report initial efforts toward their characterization. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to secrete toxic proteins, termed effectors, directly into the cytoplasm of the host cell. The activation of this secretion system is correlated with disease severity and patient death. Compared with many other T3SS-utilizing pathogenic bacteria, P. aeruginosa has a fairly limited arsenal of effectors that have been identified. This is in sharp contrast with the wide range of hosts that this bacterium can infect. The discovery of two novel effectors described here is an important step toward better understanding of the virulence and host evasion mechanisms adopted by this versatile pathogen and may provide novel approaches to treat P. aeruginosa infections.

scholarly journals SseK1 and SseK3 Type III Secretion System Effectors Inhibit NF-κB Signaling and Necroptotic Cell Death in Salmonella-Infected Macrophages

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina A. Günster ◽  
Sophie A. Matthews ◽  
David W. Holden ◽  
Teresa L. M. Thurston
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Type Iii Secretion System ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Macrophage Infection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Arginine Residues

ABSTRACT Within host cells such as macrophages, Salmonella enterica translocates virulence (effector) proteins across its vacuolar membrane via the SPI-2 type III secretion system. Previously, it was shown that when expressed ectopically, the effectors SseK1 and SseK3 inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced NF-κB activation. In this study, we show that ectopically expressed SseK1, SseK2, and SseK3 suppress TNF-α-induced, but not Toll-like receptor 4- or interleukin-induced, NF-κB activation. Inhibition required a DXD motif in SseK1 and SseK3, which is essential for the transfer of N-acetylglucosamine to arginine residues (arginine-GlcNAcylation). During macrophage infection, SseK1 and SseK3 inhibited NF-κB activity in an additive manner. SseK3-mediated inhibition of NF-κB activation did not require the only known host-binding partner of this effector, the E3-ubiquitin ligase TRIM32. SseK proteins also inhibited TNF-α-induced cell death during macrophage infection. Despite SseK1 and SseK3 inhibiting TNF-α-induced apoptosis upon ectopic expression in HeLa cells, the percentage of infected macrophages undergoing apoptosis was SseK independent. Instead, SseK proteins inhibited necroptotic cell death during macrophage infection. SseK1 and SseK3 caused GlcNAcylation of different proteins in infected macrophages, suggesting that these effectors have distinct substrate specificities. Indeed, SseK1 caused the GlcNAcylation of the death domain-containing proteins FADD and TRADD, whereas SseK3 expression resulted in weak GlcNAcylation of TRADD but not FADD. Additional, as-yet-unidentified substrates are likely to explain the additive phenotype of a Salmonella strain lacking both SseK1 and SseK3.

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