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Kuiper JWP, Gregg HL, Schüber M, Klein J, Hauck CR. Controling the cytoskeleton during CEACAM3-mediated phagocytosis. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151384. [PMID: 38215579 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2024.151384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Phagocytosis, an innate defense mechanism of multicellular animals, is initiated by specialized surface receptors. A phagocytic receptor expressed by human polymorphonuclear granulocytes, the major professional phagocytes in our body, is one of the fastest evolving human proteins implying a special role in human biology. This receptor, CEACAM3, is a member of the CarcinoEmbryonic Antigen-related Cell Adhesion Molecule (CEACAM) family and dedicated to the immediate recognition and rapid internalization of human-restricted pathogens. In this focused contribution, we will review the special adaptations of this protein, which co-evolves with different species of mucosa-colonizing bacteria. While the extracellular Immunoglobulin-variable (IgV)-like domain recognizes various bacterial adhesins, an Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Activation Motif (ITAM)-like sequence in the cytoplasmic tail of CEACAM3 constitutes the central signaling hub to trigger actin rearrangements needed for efficient phagocytosis. A major emphasis of this review will be placed on recent findings, which have revealed the multi-level control of this powerful phagocytic device. As tyrosine phosphorylation and small GTPase activity are central for CEACAM3-mediated phagocytosis, the counterregulation of CEACAM3 activity involves the receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase J (PTPRJ) as well as the Rac-GTP scavenging protein Cyri-B. Interference with such negative regulatory circuits has revealed that CEACAM3-mediated phagocytosis can be strongly enhanced. In principle, the knowledge gained by studying CEACAM3 can be applied to other phagocytic systems and opens the door to treatments, which boost the phagocytic capacity of professional phagocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Helena L Gregg
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Germany
| | - Meike Schüber
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jule Klein
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christof R Hauck
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Germany; Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Universität Konstanz, Germany.
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2
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Roberts A, Johnson S, Lee BC. Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Infection Caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae: An Unusual Complication of Pharyngeal Gonorrhea. Sex Transm Dis 2024; 51:132-134. [PMID: 38290157 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a human obligate pathogen whose clinical expression of disease ranges from localized genital infection to involvement of extragenital sites such as the conjunctiva and throat. We describe the second case of a thyroglossal duct abscess due to N. gonorrhoeae, an uncommon complication of pharyngeal gonococcal infection. The fortuitous occurrence in the same individual of these 2 conditions that both exhibit an occult clinical presentation likely accounts for rarity of this infection. We discuss the pertinent gonococcal and host factors that underlie the clinical manifestations of this infection. A particular focus is the fundamental role that the binding of the gonococcal opacity-associated protein to the ubiquitous human carcinoembryonic cell adhesion molecule plays in the pathogenesis of pharyngeal gonorrhea.
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3
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Walker E, van Niekerk S, Hanning K, Kelton W, Hicks J. Mechanisms of host manipulation by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1119834. [PMID: 36819065 PMCID: PMC9935845 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1119834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (also known as gonococcus) has been causing gonorrhoea in humans since ancient Egyptian times. Today, global gonorrhoea infections are rising at an alarming rate, in concert with an increasing number of antimicrobial-resistant strains. The gonococcus has concurrently evolved several intricate mechanisms that promote pathogenesis by evading both host immunity and defeating common therapeutic interventions. Central to these adaptations is the ability of the gonococcus to manipulate various host microenvironments upon infection. For example, the gonococcus can survive within neutrophils through direct regulation of both the oxidative burst response and maturation of the phagosome; a concerning trait given the important role neutrophils have in defending against invading pathogens. Hence, a detailed understanding of how N. gonorrhoeae exploits the human host to establish and maintain infection is crucial for combating this pathogen. This review summarizes the mechanisms behind host manipulation, with a central focus on the exploitation of host epithelial cell signaling to promote colonization and invasion of the epithelial lining, the modulation of the host immune response to evade both innate and adaptive defenses, and the manipulation of host cell death pathways to both assist colonization and combat antimicrobial activities of innate immune cells. Collectively, these pathways act in concert to enable N. gonorrhoeae to colonize and invade a wide array of host tissues, both establishing and disseminating gonococcal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Walker
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Stacy van Niekerk
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Kyrin Hanning
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - William Kelton
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand,Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Joanna Hicks
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand,*Correspondence: Joanna Hicks,
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4
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Waltmann A, Duncan JA, Pier GB, Cywes-Bentley C, Cohen MS, Hobbs MM. Experimental Urethral Infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2022:10.1007/82_2021_250. [PMID: 35246736 PMCID: PMC9441470 DOI: 10.1007/82_2021_250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Gonorrhea rates and antibiotic resistance are both increasing. Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) is an exclusively human pathogen and is exquisitely adapted to its natural host. Ng can subvert immune responses and undergoes frequent antigenic variation, resulting in limited immunity and protection from reinfection. Previous gonococcal vaccine efforts have been largely unsuccessful, and the last vaccine to be tested in humans was more than 35 years ago. Advancing technologies and the threat of untreatable gonorrhea have fueled renewed pursuit of a vaccine as a long-term sustainable solution for gonorrhea control. Despite the development of a female mouse model of genital gonococcal infection two decades ago, correlates of immunity or protection remain largely unknown, making the gonococcus a challenging vaccine target. The controlled human urethral infection model of gonorrhea (Ng CHIM) has been used to study gonococcal pathogenesis and the basis of anti-gonococcal immunity. Over 200 participants have been inoculated without serious adverse events. The Ng CHIM replicates the early natural course of urethral infection. We are now at an inflexion point to pivot the use of the model for vaccine testing to address the urgency of improved gonorrhea control. Herein we discuss the need for gonorrhea vaccines, and the advantages and limitations of the Ng CHIM in accelerating the development of gonorrhea vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Waltmann
- School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Joseph A Duncan
- School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Gerald B Pier
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | | | - Myron S Cohen
- School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Marcia M Hobbs
- School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA.
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5
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Heydarian M, Rühl E, Rawal R, Kozjak-Pavlovic V. Tissue Models for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Research—From 2D to 3D. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:840122. [PMID: 35223556 PMCID: PMC8873371 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.840122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a human-specific pathogen that causes gonorrhea, the second most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Disease progression, drug discovery, and basic host-pathogen interactions are studied using different approaches, which rely on models ranging from 2D cell culture to complex 3D tissues and animals. In this review, we discuss the models used in N. gonorrhoeae research. We address both in vivo (animal) and in vitro cell culture models, discussing the pros and cons of each and outlining the recent advancements in the field of three-dimensional tissue models. From simple 2D monoculture to complex advanced 3D tissue models, we provide an overview of the relevant methodology and its application. Finally, we discuss future directions in the exciting field of 3D tissue models and how they can be applied for studying the interaction of N. gonorrhoeae with host cells under conditions closely resembling those found at the native sites of infection.
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6
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In Vitro Analysis of Matched Isolates from Localized and Disseminated Gonococcal Infections Suggests That Opa Expression Impacts Clinical Outcome. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11020217. [PMID: 35215160 PMCID: PMC8880309 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted infection, which is primarily localized but can be disseminated systemically. The mechanisms by which a localized infection becomes a disseminated infection are unknown. We used five pairs of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from the cervix/urethra (localized) and the blood (disseminated) of patients with disseminated gonococcal infection to examine the mechanisms that confine gonococci to the genital tract or enable them to disseminate to the blood. Multilocus sequence analysis found that the local and disseminated isolates from the same patients were isogenic. When culturing in vitro, disseminated isolates aggregated significantly less and transmigrated across a polarized epithelial monolayer more efficiently than localized isolates. While localized cervical isolates transmigrated across epithelial monolayers inefficiently, those transmigrated bacteria self-aggregated less and transmigrated more than cervical isolates but comparably to disseminating isolates. The local cervical isolates recruited the host receptors of gonococcal Opa proteins carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) on epithelial cells. However, the transmigrated cervical isolate and the disseminated blood isolates recruit CEACAMs significantly less often. Our results collectively suggest that switching off the expression of CEACAM-binding Opa(s), which reduces self-aggregation, promotes gonococcal dissemination.
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7
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Lujan AL, Croci DO, Rabinovich GA, Damiani MT. Galectins as potential therapeutic targets in STIs in the female genital tract. Nat Rev Urol 2022; 19:240-252. [PMID: 35105978 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-021-00562-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Every day, more than one million people worldwide acquire a sexually transmitted infection (STI). This public health problem has a direct effect on women's reproductive and sexual health as STIs can cause irreversible damage to fertility and can have negative consequences associated with discrimination and social exclusion. Infection with one sexually transmitted pathogen predisposes to co-infection with others, suggesting the existence of shared pathways that serve as molecular links between these diseases. Galectins, a family of β-galactoside-binding proteins, have emerged as endogenous mediators that facilitate cell-surface binding, internalization and cell invasion of many sexually transmitted pathogens, including Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans, HIV and herpes simplex virus. The ability of certain galectins to dimerize or form multimeric complexes confers the capacity to interact simultaneously with glycosylated ligands on both the pathogen and the cervico-vaginal tissue on these proteins. Galectins can act as a bridge by engaging glycans from the pathogen surface and glycosylated receptors from host cells, which is a mechanism that has been shown to be shared by several sexually transmitted pathogens. In the case of viruses and obligate intracellular bacteria, binding to the cell surface promotes pathogen internalization and cell invasion. Inflammatory responses that occur in cervico-vaginal tissue might trigger secretion of galectins, which in turn control the establishment, evolution and severity of STIs. Thus, galectin-targeted therapies could potentially prevent or decrease STIs caused by a diverse array of pathogenic microorganisms; furthermore, anti-galectin agents might reduce treatment costs of STIs and reach the most vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin L Lujan
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica e Inmunidad, Instituto de Bioquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo (IMBECU), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCUYO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mendoza, Argentina.,Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego O Croci
- Laboratorio de Inmunopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza (IHEM), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCUYO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Gabriel A Rabinovich
- Laboratorio de Glicomedicina, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), C1428AGE, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Maria T Damiani
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica e Inmunidad, Instituto de Bioquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo (IMBECU), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCUYO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mendoza, Argentina.
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8
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Yang T, Heydarian M, Kozjak-Pavlovic V, Urban M, Harbottle RP, Rudel T. Folliculin Controls the Intracellular Survival and Trans-Epithelial Passage of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:422. [PMID: 33014885 PMCID: PMC7499807 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a Gram-negative obligate human pathogenic bacterium, infects human epithelial cells and causes sexually transmitted diseases. Emerging multi-antibiotic resistant gonococci and increasing numbers of infections complicate the treatment of infected patients. Here, we used an shRNA library screen and next-generation sequencing to identify factors involved in epithelial cell infection. Folliculin (FLCN), a 64 kDa protein with a tumor repressor function was identified as a novel host factor important for N. gonorrhoeae survival after uptake. We further determined that FLCN did not affect N. gonorrhoeae adherence and invasion but was essential for its survival in the cells by modulating autophagy. In addition, FLCN was also required to maintain cell to cell contacts in the epithelial layer. In an infection model with polarized cells, FLCN inhibited the polarized localization of E-cadherin and the transcytosis of gonococci across polarized epithelial cells. In conclusion, we demonstrate here the connection between FLCN and bacterial infection and in particular the role of FLCN in the intracellular survival and transcytosis of gonococci across polarized epithelial cell layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yang
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Manuela Urban
- DNA Vector Lab, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Rudel
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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9
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Werner LM, Palmer A, Smirnov A, Belcher Dufrisne M, Columbus L, Criss AK. Imaging Flow Cytometry Analysis of CEACAM Binding to Opa-Expressing Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Cytometry A 2020; 97:1081-1089. [PMID: 32484607 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Human carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) are a family of receptors that mediate intercellular interactions. Pathogenic bacteria have ligands that bind CEACAMs on human cells. Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc) encodes numerous unique outer membrane opacity-associated (Opa) proteins that are ligands for one or more CEACAMs. CEACAMs that are expressed on epithelial cells facilitate Gc colonization, while those expressed on neutrophils affect phagocytosis and consequent intracellular survival of Gc. Since Opa protein expression is phase-variable, variations in receptor tropism affect how individual bacteria within a population interact with host cells. Here we report the development of a rapid, quantitative method for collecting and analyzing fluorescence intensity data from thousands of cells in a population using imaging flow cytometry to detect N-CEACAM bound to the surface of Opa-expressing Gc. We use this method to confirm previous findings regarding Opa-CEACAM interactions and to examine the receptor-ligand interactions of Gc expressing other Opa proteins, as well as for other N-CEACAM proteins. © 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacie M Werner
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, USA
| | - Allison Palmer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, USA
| | - Asya Smirnov
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, USA
| | | | - Linda Columbus
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, USA
| | - Alison K Criss
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, USA
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10
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Bonsignore P, Kuiper JWP, Adrian J, Goob G, Hauck CR. CEACAM3-A Prim(at)e Invention for Opsonin-Independent Phagocytosis of Bacteria. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3160. [PMID: 32117212 PMCID: PMC7026191 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Phagocytosis is one of the key innate defense mechanisms executed by specialized cells in multicellular animals. Recent evidence suggests that a particular phagocytic receptor expressed by human polymorphonuclear granulocytes, the carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 3 (CEACAM3), is one of the fastest-evolving human proteins. In this focused review, we will try to resolve the conundrum why a conserved process such as phagocytosis is conducted by a rapidly changing receptor. Therefore, we will first summarize the biochemical and structural details of this immunoglobulin-related glycoprotein in the context of the human CEACAM family. The function of CEACAM3 for the efficient, opsonin-independent detection and phagocytosis of highly specialized, host-restricted bacteria will be further elaborated. Taking into account the decisive role of CEACAM3 in the interaction with pathogenic bacteria, we will discuss the evolutionary trajectory of the CEACAM3 gene within the primate lineage and highlight the consequences of CEACAM3 polymorphisms in human populations. From a synopsis of these studies, CEACAM3 emerges as an important component of human innate immunity and a prominent example of a dedicated receptor for professional phagocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Bonsignore
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Johannes W P Kuiper
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jonas Adrian
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Griseldis Goob
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christof R Hauck
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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11
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Russell MW, Jerse AE, Gray-Owen SD. Progress Toward a Gonococcal Vaccine: The Way Forward. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2417. [PMID: 31681305 PMCID: PMC6803597 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of immunizing against gonorrhea has received renewed interest because of the recent emergence of strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that are resistant to most currently available antibiotics, an occurrence that threatens to render gonorrhea untreatable. However, despite efforts over many decades, no vaccine has yet been successfully developed for human use, leading to pessimism over whether this goal was actually attainable. Several factors have contributed to this situation, including extensive variation of the expression and specificity of many of the gonococcal surface antigens, and the ability of N. gonorrhoeae to resist destruction by complement and other innate immune defense mechanisms. The natural host restriction of N. gonorrhoeae for humans, coupled with the absence of any definable state of immunity arising from an episode of gonorrhea, have also complicated efforts to study gonococcal pathogenesis and the host's immune responses. However, recent findings have elucidated how the gonococcus exploits and manipulates the host's immune system for its own benefit, utilizing human-specific receptors for attachment to and invasion of tissues, and subverting adaptive immune responses that might otherwise be capable of eliminating it. While no single experimental model is capable of providing all the answers, experiments utilizing human cells and tissues in vitro, various in vivo animal models, including genetically modified strains of mice, and both experimental and observational human clinical studies, have combined to yield important new insight into the immuno-pathogenesis of gonococcal infection. In turn, these have now led to novel approaches for the development of a gonococcal vaccine. Ongoing investigations utilizing all available tools are now poised to make the development of an effective human vaccine against gonorrhea an achievable goal within a foreseeable time-frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W. Russell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Ann E. Jerse
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Scott D. Gray-Owen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Adrian J, Bonsignore P, Hammer S, Frickey T, Hauck CR. Adaptation to Host-Specific Bacterial Pathogens Drives Rapid Evolution of a Human Innate Immune Receptor. Curr Biol 2019; 29:616-630.e5. [PMID: 30744974 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The selective pressure by infectious agents is a major driving force in the evolution of humans and other mammals. Members of the carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) family serve as receptors for bacterial pathogens of the genera Haemophilus, Helicobacter, Neisseria, and Moraxella, which engage CEACAMs via distinct surface adhesins. While microbial attachment to epithelial CEACAMs facilitates host colonization, recognition by CEACAM3, a phagocytic receptor expressed by granulocytes, eliminates CEACAM-binding bacteria. Sequence analysis of primate CEACAM3 orthologs reveals that this innate immune receptor is one of the most rapidly evolving human proteins. In particular, the pathogen-binding extracellular domain of CEACAM3 shows a high degree of non-synonymous versus synonymous nucleotide exchanges, indicating an exceptionally strong positive selection. Using CEACAM3 domains derived from different primates, we find that the amino acid alterations found in CEACAM3 translate into characteristic binding patterns for bacterial adhesins. One such amino acid residue is F62 in human and chimp CEACAM3, which is not present in other primates and which is critical for binding the OMP P1 adhesin of Haemophilus aegyptius. Incorporation of the F62-containing motif into gorilla CEACAM3 results in a gain-of-function phenotype with regard to phagocytosis of H. aegyptius. Moreover, CEACAM3 polymorphisms found in human subpopulations widen the spectrum of recognized bacterial adhesins, suggesting an ongoing multivariate selection acting on this innate immune receptor. The species-specific detection of diverse bacterial adhesins helps to explain the exceptionally fast evolution of CEACAM3 within the primate lineage and provides an example of Red Queen dynamics in the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Adrian
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Patrizia Bonsignore
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hammer
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tancred Frickey
- Forest Industry Informatics, Scion, Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park, 49 Sala Street, 3015 Rotorua, New Zealand; Konstanz Research School-Chemical Biology, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christof R Hauck
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; Konstanz Research School-Chemical Biology, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
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13
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Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is a major public health problem worldwide. The increasing incidence of gonorrhea coupled with global spread of multidrug-resistant isolates of gonococci has ushered in an era of potentially untreatable infection. Gonococcal disease elicits limited immunity, and individuals are susceptible to repeated infections. In this chapter, we describe gonococcal disease and epidemiology and the structure and function of major surface components involved in pathogenesis. We also discuss the mechanisms that gonococci use to evade host immune responses and the immune responses following immunization with selected bacterial components that may overcome evasion. Understanding the biology of the gonococcus may aid in preventing the spread of gonorrhea and also facilitate the development of gonococcal vaccines and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutamas Shaughnessy
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Peter A Rice
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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14
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Wanford JJ, Green LR, Aidley J, Bayliss CD. Phasome analysis of pathogenic and commensal Neisseria species expands the known repertoire of phase variable genes, and highlights common adaptive strategies. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196675. [PMID: 29763438 PMCID: PMC5953494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic Neisseria are responsible for significantly higher levels of morbidity and mortality than their commensal relatives despite having similar genetic contents. Neisseria possess a disparate arsenal of surface determinants that facilitate host colonisation and evasion of the immune response during persistent carriage. Adaptation to rapid changes in these hostile host environments is enabled by phase variation (PV) involving high frequency, stochastic switches in expression of surface determinants. In this study, we analysed 89 complete and 79 partial genomes, from the NCBI and Neisseria PubMLST databases, representative of multiple pathogenic and commensal species of Neisseria using PhasomeIt, a new program that identifies putatively phase-variable genes and homology groups by the presence of simple sequence repeats (SSR). We detected a repertoire of 884 putative PV loci with maxima of 54 and 47 per genome in gonococcal and meningococcal isolates, respectively. Most commensal species encoded a lower number of PV genes (between 5 and 30) except N. lactamica wherein the potential for PV (36–82 loci) was higher, implying that PV is an adaptive mechanism for persistence in this species. We also characterised the repeat types and numbers in both pathogenic and commensal species. Conservation of SSR-mediated PV was frequently observed in outer membrane proteins or modifiers of outer membrane determinants. Intermittent and weak selection for evolution of SSR-mediated PV was suggested by poor conservation of tracts with novel PV genes often occurring in only one isolate. Finally, we describe core phasomes—the conserved repertoires of phase-variable genes—for each species that identify overlapping but distinctive adaptive strategies for the pathogenic and commensal members of the Neisseria genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J. Wanford
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Luke R. Green
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Aidley
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher D. Bayliss
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
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15
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Bonsor DA, Zhao Q, Schmidinger B, Weiss E, Wang J, Deredge D, Beadenkopf R, Dow B, Fischer W, Beckett D, Wintrode PL, Haas R, Sundberg EJ. The Helicobacter pylori adhesin protein HopQ exploits the dimer interface of human CEACAMs to facilitate translocation of the oncoprotein CagA. EMBO J 2018; 37:embj.201798664. [PMID: 29724755 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201798664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori infects half of the world's population, and strains that encode the cag type IV secretion system for injection of the oncoprotein CagA into host gastric epithelial cells are associated with elevated levels of cancer. CagA translocation into host cells is dependent on interactions between the H. pylori adhesin protein HopQ and human CEACAMs. Here, we present high-resolution structures of several HopQ-CEACAM complexes and CEACAMs in their monomeric and dimeric forms establishing that HopQ uses a coupled folding and binding mechanism to engage the canonical CEACAM dimerization interface for CEACAM recognition. By combining mutagenesis with biophysical and functional analyses, we show that the modes of CEACAM recognition by HopQ and CEACAMs themselves are starkly different. Our data describe precise molecular mechanisms by which microbes exploit host CEACAMs for infection and enable future development of novel oncoprotein translocation inhibitors and H. pylori-specific antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Bonsor
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qing Zhao
- Chair of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Barbara Schmidinger
- Chair of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Evelyn Weiss
- Chair of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jingheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Deredge
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert Beadenkopf
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Blaine Dow
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wolfgang Fischer
- Chair of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dorothy Beckett
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Patrick L Wintrode
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rainer Haas
- Chair of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Eric J Sundberg
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA .,Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
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16
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Sintsova A, Guo CX, Sarantis H, Mak TW, Glogauer M, Gray-Owen SD. Bcl10 synergistically links CEACAM3 and TLR-dependent inflammatory signalling. Cell Microbiol 2018; 20:e12788. [PMID: 28886618 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The neutrophil-specific innate immune receptor CEACAM3 functions as a decoy to capture Gram-negative pathogens, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, that exploit CEACAM family members to adhere to the epithelium. Bacterial binding to CEACAM3 results in their efficient engulfment and triggers activation of an nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB)-dependent inflammatory response by human neutrophils. Herein, we report that CEACAM3 cross-linking is not sufficient for induction of cytokine production and show that the inflammatory response induced by Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is elicited by an integration of signals from CEACAM3 and toll-like receptors. Using neutrophils from a human CEACAM-expressing mouse line (CEABAC), we use a genetic approach to reveal a molecular bifurcation of the CEACAM3-mediated antimicrobial and inflammatory responses. Ex vivo experiments with CEABAC-Rac2-/- , CEABAC-Bcl10-/- , and CEABAC-Malt1-/- neutrophils indicate that these effectors are not necessary for gonococcal engulfment, yet all 3 effectors contribute to CEACAM3-mediated cytokine production. Interestingly, although Bcl10 and Malt1 are often inextricably linked, Bcl10 enabled synergy between toll-like receptor 4 and CEACAM3, whereas Malt1 did not. Together, these findings reveal an integration of the specific innate immune receptor CEACAM3 into the network of more conventional pattern recognition receptors, providing a mechanism by which the innate immune system can unleash its response to a relentless pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sintsova
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cynthia X Guo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Helen Sarantis
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tak W Mak
- The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Glogauer
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott D Gray-Owen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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17
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Abstract
Antigenic variation is a strategy used by a broad diversity of microbial pathogens to persist within the mammalian host. Whereas viruses make use of a minimal proofreading capacity combined with large amounts of progeny to use random mutation for variant generation, antigenically variant bacteria have evolved mechanisms which use a stable genome, which aids in protecting the fitness of the progeny. Here, three well-characterized and highly antigenically variant bacterial pathogens are discussed: Anaplasma, Borrelia, and Neisseria. These three pathogens display a variety of mechanisms used to create the structural and antigenic variation needed for immune escape and long-term persistence. Intrahost antigenic variation is the focus; however, the role of these immune escape mechanisms at the population level is also presented.
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18
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Rueckschloss U, Kuerten S, Ergün S. The role of CEA-related cell adhesion molecule-1 (CEACAM1) in vascular homeostasis. Histochem Cell Biol 2016; 146:657-671. [PMID: 27695943 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1505-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-related cell adhesion molecules belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily, are expressed in a broad spectrum of tissues and cell types and exert context-dependent activating as well as inhibitory effects. Among these molecules, the CEA-related cell adhesion molecule-1 (CEACAM1) is a transmembrane molecule with an extracellular, a transmembrane and a cytoplasmic domain. The latter contains immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs and functions as a signaling molecule. CEACAM1 can form homo- and heterodimers which is relevant for its signaling activities. CEACAM1 acts as co-receptor that modulates the activity of different receptor types including VEGFR-2, and B and T cell receptors. CEACAM1 is expressed in endothelial cells, in pericytes of developing and newly formed immature blood vessels and in angiogenically activated adult vessels, e.g., tumor blood vessels. However, it is either undetectable or only weakly expressed in quiescent blood vessels. Recent studies indicated that CEACAM1 is involved in the regulation of the endothelial barrier function. In CEACAM1 -/- mice, increased vascular permeability and development of small atherosclerotic lesions was observed in the aortae. CEACAM1 is also detectable in activated lymphatic endothelial cells and plays a role in tumor lymphangiogenesis. This review summarizes the vascular effects of CEACAM1 and focuses on its role in vascular morphogenesis and endothelial barrier regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Rueckschloss
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, Köllikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Kuerten
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, Köllikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Süleyman Ergün
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, Köllikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
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19
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Martin JN, Ball LM, Solomon TL, Dewald AH, Criss AK, Columbus L. Neisserial Opa Protein-CEACAM Interactions: Competition for Receptors as a Means of Bacterial Invasion and Pathogenesis. Biochemistry 2016; 55:4286-94. [PMID: 27442026 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Carcino-embryonic antigen-like cellular adhesion molecules (CEACAMs), members of the immunoglobulin superfamily, are responsible for cell-cell interactions and cellular signaling events. Extracellular interactions with CEACAMs have the potential to induce phagocytosis, as is the case with pathogenic Neisseria bacteria. Pathogenic Neisseria species express opacity-associated (Opa) proteins, which interact with a subset of CEACAMs on human cells, and initiate the engulfment of the bacterium. We demonstrate that recombinant Opa proteins reconstituted into liposomes retain the ability to recognize and interact with CEACAMs in vitro but do not maintain receptor specificity compared to that of Opa proteins natively expressed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We report that two Opa proteins interact with CEACAMs with nanomolar affinity, and we hypothesize that this high affinity is necessary to compete with the native CEACAM homo- and heterotypic interactions in the host. Understanding the mechanisms of Opa protein-receptor recognition and engulfment enhances our understanding of Neisserial pathogenesis. Additionally, these mechanisms provide insight into how human cells that are typically nonphagocytic can utilize CEACAM receptors to internalize exogenous matter, with implications for the targeted delivery of therapeutics and development of imaging agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N Martin
- Department of Chemistry and ‡Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Louise M Ball
- Department of Chemistry and ‡Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Tsega L Solomon
- Department of Chemistry and ‡Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Alison H Dewald
- Department of Chemistry and ‡Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Alison K Criss
- Department of Chemistry and ‡Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Linda Columbus
- Department of Chemistry and ‡Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
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20
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Quintero CA, Tudela JG, Damiani MT. Rho GTPases as pathogen targets: Focus on curable sexually transmitted infections. Small GTPases 2015; 6:108-18. [PMID: 26023809 DOI: 10.4161/21541248.2014.991233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogens have evolved highly specialized mechanisms to infect hosts. Several microorganisms modulate the eukaryotic cell surface to facilitate their engulfment. Once internalized, they hijack the molecular machinery of the infected cell for their own benefit. At different stages of phagocytosis, particularly during invasion, certain pathogens manipulate pathways governed by small GTPases. In this review, we focus on the role of Rho proteins on curable, sexually transmitted infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis and Treponema pallidum. Despite the high, worldwide frequencies of these sexually-transmitted diseases, very little is known about the strategies developed by these microorganisms to usurp key eukaryotic proteins that control intracellular signaling and actin dynamics. Improved knowledge of these molecular mechanisms will contribute to the elucidation of how these clinically important pathogens manipulate intracellular processes and parasitize their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristián A Quintero
- a Laboratory of Phagocytosis and Intracellular Trafficking; IHEM-CONICET; School of Medicine; University of Cuyo ; Mendoza , Argentina
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21
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Neisseria gonorrhoeae elicits extracellular traps in primary neutrophil culture while suppressing the oxidative burst. mBio 2015; 6:mBio.02452-14. [PMID: 25670773 PMCID: PMC4337578 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02452-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus) causes gonorrhea and is uniquely adapted to survive within the human reproductive tract. Gonococci evade host immune surveillance in part by varying their pili and opacity-associated proteins. These variable surface antigens influence interactions with host epithelial and immune cells. A potent polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) response is a hallmark of symptomatic gonococcal infection, with vast numbers of PMNs recruited to the site of infection. A large body of literature describes gonococcus-PMN interactions, but the factors driving the outcome of infection are not fully understood. Gonococci have been described to both induce and suppress the PMN oxidative burst, but we determined that gonococci differentially affect induction of the PMN oxidative burst depending on the multiplicity of infection (MOI). Infecting PMN at an MOI of <20 gonococci elicits an oxidative burst, while an MOI of >20 suppresses the burst. Oxidative burst in response to gonococci is enhanced by, but does not require, expression of pili or opacity proteins. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were observed in gonococcus-infected PMNs, a process which requires an oxidative burst, yet gonococci induced NETs under suppressing conditions. The NETs were unable to kill gonococci despite killing the common vaginal bacterium Lactobacillus crispatus. Thus, gonococci influence PMN biology to promote their own survival by suppressing the oxidative burst of PMNs and stimulating the formation of NETs, which do not effectively kill gonococci, illustrating how N. gonorrhoeae has evolved to modulate PMN responses to promote infection. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the gonococcus, is the only causative agent of gonorrhea and is exclusively found within the human host. Gonococci stochastically vary the composition of antigens on their surface to evade immune surveillance. We used gonococcal mutants which stably express different surface antigens to dissect interactions between gonococci and primary human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). We found that gonococci, depending on the number of bacteria present, either induce or suppress the oxidative burst of PMNs regardless of other stimuli. Gonococci also cause PMNs to release DNA, forming neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) independently of the oxidative burst. The NETs were unable to kill gonococci but were able to kill commensal bacteria, suggesting that NET production can help gonococci outcompete other bacterial species. We propose that gonococci have evolved to manipulate PMN responses to promote their own survival during infection.
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22
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Selection for a CEACAM receptor-specific binding phenotype during Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection of the human genital tract. Infect Immun 2015; 83:1372-83. [PMID: 25605771 DOI: 10.1128/iai.03123-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections by Neisseria gonorrhoeae are increasingly common, are often caused by antibiotic-resistant strains, and can result in serious and lasting sequelae, prompting the reemergence of gonococcal disease as a leading global health concern. N. gonorrhoeae is a human-restricted pathogen that primarily colonizes urogenital mucosal surfaces. Disease progression varies greatly between the sexes: men usually present with symptomatic infection characterized by a painful purulent urethral discharge, while in women, the infection is often asymptomatic, with the most severe pathology occurring when the bacteria ascend from the lower genital tract into the uterus and fallopian tubes. Classical clinical studies demonstrated that clinically infectious strains uniformly express Opa adhesins; however, their specificities were unknown at the time. While in vitro studies have since identified CEACAM proteins as the primary target of Opa proteins, the gonococcal specificity for this human family of receptors has not been addressed in the context of natural infection. In this study, we characterize a collection of low-passage-number clinical-specimen-derived N. gonorrhoeae isolates for Opa expression and assess their CEACAM-binding profiles. We report marked in vivo selection for expression of phase-variable Opa proteins that bind CEACAM1 and CEACAM5 but selection against expression of Opa variants that bind to the neutrophil-restricted decoy receptor CEACAM3. This is the first study showing phenotypic selection for distinct CEACAM-binding phenotypes in vivo, and it supports the opposing functions of CEACAMs that facilitate infection versus driving inflammation within the genital tract.
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23
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24
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Johnson MB, Ball LM, Daily KP, Martin JN, Columbus L, Criss AK. Opa+ Neisseria gonorrhoeae exhibits reduced survival in human neutrophils via Src family kinase-mediated bacterial trafficking into mature phagolysosomes. Cell Microbiol 2014; 17:648-65. [PMID: 25346239 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
During gonorrhoeal infection, there is a heterogeneous population of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc) varied in their expression of opacity-associated (Opa) proteins. While Opa proteins are important for bacterial attachment and invasion of epithelial cells, Opa+ Gc has a survival defect after exposure to neutrophils. Here, we use constitutively Opa- and OpaD+ Gc in strain background FA1090 to show that Opa+ Gc is more sensitive to killing inside adherent, chemokine-treated primary human neutrophils due to increased bacterial residence in mature, degradative phagolysosomes that contain primary and secondary granule antimicrobial contents. Although Opa+ Gc stimulates a potent oxidative burst, neutrophil killing of Opa+ Gc was instead attributable to non-oxidative components, particularly neutrophil proteases and the bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein. Blocking interaction of Opa+ Gc with carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) or inhibiting Src family kinase signalling, which is downstream of CEACAM activation, enhanced the survival of Opa+ Gc in neutrophils. Src family kinase signalling was required for fusion of Gc phagosomes with primary granules to generate mature phagolysosomes. Conversely, ectopic activation of Src family kinases or coinfection with Opa+ Gc resulted in decreased survival of Opa- Gc in neutrophils. From these results, we conclude that Opa protein expression is an important modulator of Gc survival characteristics in neutrophils by influencing phagosome dynamics and thus bacterial exposure to neutrophils' full antimicrobial arsenal.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Brittany Johnson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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25
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Global analysis of neutrophil responses to Neisseria gonorrhoeae reveals a self-propagating inflammatory program. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004341. [PMID: 25188454 PMCID: PMC4154863 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An overwhelming neutrophil-driven response causes both acute symptoms and the lasting sequelae that result from infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Neutrophils undergo an aggressive opsonin-independent response to N. gonorrhoeae, driven by the innate decoy receptor CEACAM3. CEACAM3 is exclusively expressed by human neutrophils, and drives a potent binding, phagocytic engulfment and oxidative killing of Opa-expressing bacteria. In this study, we sought to explore the contribution of neutrophils to the pathogenic inflammatory process that typifies gonorrhea. Genome-wide microarray and biochemical profiling of gonococcal-infected neutrophils revealed that CEACAM3 engagement triggers a Syk-, PKCδ- and Tak1-dependent signaling cascade that results in the activation of an NF-κB-dependent transcriptional response, with consequent production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Using an in vivo model of N. gonorrhoeae infection, we show that human CEACAM-expressing neutrophils have heightened migration toward the site of the infection where they may be further activated upon Opa-dependent binding. Together, this study establishes that the role of CEACAM3 is not restricted to the direct opsonin-independent killing by neutrophils, since it also drives the vigorous inflammatory response that typifies gonorrhea. By carrying the potential to mobilize increasing numbers of neutrophils, CEACAM3 thereby represents the tipping point between protective and pathogenic outcomes of N. gonorrhoeae infection. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These bacteria have re-emerged as a public health priority due to its acquisition of resistance to multiple antibiotics, leading to fears of untreatable infection. The symptoms of gonorrhea include an intense inflammatory response that may lead to pus discharged from the infected genital tract and scarring of the reproductive tract caused by neutrophils recruited to the site of infection. Past studies have detailed molecular interactions that lead to neutrophil binding and engulfment of N. gonorrhoeae, yet it remains unclear why N. gonorrhoeae elicits such a pathogenic inflammatory response. In this study, we reveal that N. gonorrhoeae binding to the human innate decoy receptor, CEACAM3, elicits a potent intracellular signaling cascade that leads to neutrophil expression of cytokines that actively recruit other neutrophils to the infected tissues. As they encounter the gonococci, the next wave of neutrophils becomes similarly activated, leading to the progressive expansion in phagocytic cell numbers until they overwhelm the infected tissues. While this process promotes a rapid response to a troubling pathogen early during infection, the unrestrained recruitment of neutrophils and their toxic antimicrobial arsenal also lead to the pathogenic consequences associated with gonorrhea.
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26
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Tchoupa AK, Schuhmacher T, Hauck CR. Signaling by epithelial members of the CEACAM family - mucosal docking sites for pathogenic bacteria. Cell Commun Signal 2014; 12:27. [PMID: 24735478 PMCID: PMC4057559 DOI: 10.1186/1478-811x-12-27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) comprise a group of immunoglobulin-related vertebrate glycoproteins. Several family members, including CEACAM1, CEA, and CEACAM6, are found on epithelial tissues throughout the human body. As they modulate diverse cellular functions, their signaling capacity is in the focus of current research. In this review we will summarize the knowledge about common signaling processes initiated by epithelial CEACAMs and suggest a model of signal transduction by CEACAM family members lacking significant cytoplasmic domains. As pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria exploit these receptors during mucosal colonization, we try to highlight the connection between CEACAMs, microbes, and cellular responses. Special emphasis in this context is placed on the functional interplay between CEACAMs and integrins that influences matrix adhesion of epithelial cells. The cooperation between these two receptor families provides an intriguing example of the fine tuning of cellular responses and their manipulation by specialized microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christof R Hauck
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiologie, Universität Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
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27
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Patel PC, Lee HSW, Ming AYK, Rath A, Deber CM, Yip CM, Rocheleau JV, Gray-Owen SD. Inside-out signaling promotes dynamic changes in the carcinoembryonic antigen-related cellular adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) oligomeric state to control its cell adhesion properties. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:29654-69. [PMID: 24005674 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.504639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-cell contacts are fundamental to multicellular organisms and are subject to exquisite levels of control. The carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) can engage in both cis-homophilic (parallel) oligomerization and trans-homophilic (anti-parallel) binding. In this study, we establish that the CEACAM1 transmembrane domain has a propensity to form cis-dimers via the transmembrane-embedded (432)GXXXG(436) motif and that this basal state is overcome when activated calmodulin binds to the CEACAM1 cytoplasmic domain. Although mutation of the (432)GXXXG(436) motif reduced CEACAM1 oligomerization, it did not affect surface localization of the receptor or influence CEACAM1-dependent cellular invasion by the pathogenic Neisseria. The mutation did, however, have a striking effect on CEACAM1-dependent cellular aggregation, increasing both the kinetics of cell-cell association and the size of cellular aggregates formed. CEACAM1 association with tyrosine kinase c-Src and tyrosine phosphatases SHP-1 and SHP-2 was not affected by the (432)GXXXG(436) mutation, consistent with their association with the monomeric form of wild type CEACAM1. Collectively, our results establish that a dynamic oligomer-to-monomer shift in surface-expressed CEACAM1 facilitates trans-homophilic binding and downstream effector signaling.
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28
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Zariri A, van Dijken H, Hamstra HJ, van der Flier M, Vidarsson G, van Putten JPM, Boog CJP, van den Dobbelsteen G, van der Ley P. Expression of human CEACAM1 in transgenic mice limits the Opa-specific immune response against meningococcal outer membrane vesicles. Vaccine 2013; 31:5585-93. [PMID: 23933369 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.07.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) have been extensively investigated as meningococcal vaccine candidates. Among their major components are the opacity (Opa) proteins, a family of surface-exposed outer membrane proteins important for bacterial adherence and entry into host cells. Many Opa-dependent interactions are mediated through the carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) family of receptors. Importantly, binding of Opa to CEACAM1 has been reported to suppress human CD4 T cell proliferation in vitro in response to OMV preparations. This raises the question whether OMV vaccines should contain Opa proteins at all. Until now it has been difficult to answer this question, as the proposed immunosuppressive effect was only demonstrated with human cells in vitro, while immunization experiments in mice are not informative because the Opa interaction is specific for human CEACAM1. In the present study we have used Opa+ and Opa- OMVs for immunization experiments in a human CEACAM1 transgenic mouse model. OMVs were prepared from a meningococcal strain H44/76 variant expressing the CEACAM1-binding OpaJ protein, and from an isogenic variant in which all opa genes have been inactivated. Both the CEACAM1 expressing transgenic mice and their congenic littermates lacking it were immunized twice with the OMV preparations, and the sera were analyzed for bactericidal activity and ELISA antibody titres. Total IgG antibodies against the OMVs were similar in both mouse strains. Yet the titres for IgG antibodies specific for purified OpaJ protein were significantly lower in the mice expressing human CEACAM1 than in the nontransgenic mice. No significant differences were found in bactericidal titres among the four groups. Overall, these data indicate that expression of human CEACAM1 confers a reduced Opa-specific antibody response in vivo without affecting the overall immune response against other OMV antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afshin Zariri
- Institute for Translational Vaccinology (InTraVacc), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3720 AL Bilthoven, The Netherlands; Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Hung MC, Christodoulides M. The biology of Neisseria adhesins. BIOLOGY 2013; 2:1054-109. [PMID: 24833056 PMCID: PMC3960869 DOI: 10.3390/biology2031054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Members of the genus Neisseria include pathogens causing important human diseases such as meningitis, septicaemia, gonorrhoea and pelvic inflammatory disease syndrome. Neisseriae are found on the exposed epithelia of the upper respiratory tract and the urogenital tract. Colonisation of these exposed epithelia is dependent on a repertoire of diverse bacterial molecules, extending not only from the surface of the bacteria but also found within the outer membrane. During invasive disease, pathogenic Neisseriae also interact with immune effector cells, vascular endothelia and the meninges. Neisseria adhesion involves the interplay of these multiple surface factors and in this review we discuss the structure and function of these important molecules and the nature of the host cell receptors and mechanisms involved in their recognition. We also describe the current status for recently identified Neisseria adhesins. Understanding the biology of Neisseria adhesins has an impact not only on the development of new vaccines but also in revealing fundamental knowledge about human biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao-Chiu Hung
- Neisseria Research, Molecular Microbiology, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Sir Henry Wellcome Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- Neisseria Research, Molecular Microbiology, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Sir Henry Wellcome Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
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Johswich KO, McCaw SE, Islam E, Sintsova A, Gu A, Shively JE, Gray-Owen SD. In vivo adaptation and persistence of Neisseria meningitidis within the nasopharyngeal mucosa. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003509. [PMID: 23935487 PMCID: PMC3723569 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (Nme) asymptomatically colonizes the human nasopharynx, yet can initiate rapidly-progressing sepsis and meningitis in rare instances. Understanding the meningococcal lifestyle within the nasopharyngeal mucosa, a phase of infection that is prerequisite for disease, has been hampered by the lack of animal models. Herein, we compare mice expressing the four different human carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) that can bind the neisserial Opa protein adhesins, and find that expression of human CEACAM1 is necessary and sufficient to establish intranasal colonization. During infection, in vivo selection for phase variants expressing CEACAM1-specific Opa proteins occurs, allowing mucosal attachment and entry into the subepithelial space. Consistent with an essential role for Opa proteins in this process, Opa-deficient meningococci were unable to colonize the CEACAM1-humanized mice. While simple Opa-mediated attachment triggered an innate response regardless of meningococcal viability within the inoculum, persistence of viable Opa-expressing bacteria within the CEACAM1-humanized mice was required for a protective memory response to be achieved. Parenteral immunization with a capsule-based conjugate vaccine led to the accumulation of protective levels of Nme-specific IgG within the nasal mucus, yet the sterilizing immunity afforded by natural colonization was instead conferred by Nme-specific IgA without detectable IgG. Considered together, this study establishes that the availability of CEACAM1 helps define the exquisite host specificity of this human-restricted pathogen, displays a striking example of in vivo selection for the expression of desirable Opa variants, and provides a novel model in which to consider meningococcal infection and immunity within the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Neisseria meningitidis (Nme), a common cause of bacterial meningitis, are carried asymptomatically in the nasopharynx by a substantial proportion of healthy individuals. Their strict adaptation to the human as host has so far impeded the development of animal models to study the meningococcal lifestyle in vivo. While several human CEACAMs are recognized by the neisserial Opa protein adhesins, we show here that the expression of human CEACAM1 in transgenic mice is necessary and sufficient to allow nasal colonization by Nme. The dependence on human CEACAM1 is attributable to the Opa proteins, since intranasal infection with Opa-negative colonies of Nme selects for bacteria expressing Opa proteins, and genetically Opa-deficient meningococci are unable to colonize these animals. We use this new mouse model to examine how innate immune factors such as neutrophils and complement limit colonization. Furthermore, we compare how adaptive responses elicited by colonization and those generated by parenteral vaccination differentially confer sterilizing immunity. Together, this work provides the first evidence of the critical nature of Opa-CEACAM1 binding in vivo, demonstrates that this is a major determinant of the host restriction by Nme, and reveals a clear disparity between immune correlates of sterilizing immunity conferred by natural colonization versus parenteral immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay O Johswich
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Determination of In Vitro Activities of Solithromycin at Different pHs and Its Intracellular Activity against Clinical Isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from a Laboratory Collection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57:4322-4328. [PMID: 23796936 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00564-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the activity of solithromycin against 196 clinical gonococcal isolates collected at the Public Health Ontario Laboratories, Toronto, Canada, including isolates with different levels of azithromycin resistance, as well as the role of pH in MIC determinations using pH-adjusted agar plates (pH range, 5.6 to 7.6). In vitro invasion assays were performed using monolayers of HeLa epithelial cells and clinical gonococci displaying different azithromycin MICs; infected cultures were treated with solithromycin, and its intracellular activity was determined by CFU assays after 3 and 20 h of exposure. Solithromycin displayed a MIC50 and MIC90 of 0.0625 and 0.125 μg/ml, respectively, making its activity at least 4-fold higher than that of azithromycin. Clinical isolates with elevated MICs for azithromycin (MICs of ≥2,048 μg/ml and 4 to 8 μg/ml) showed solithromycin MIC values of 8 and 0.5 μg/ml, respectively. In contrast to azithromycin, solithromycin MICs were not significantly affected by acidic pHs, suggesting more stability at lower pH. Moreover, when intracellular Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates were incubated with solithromycin at 4 times, 1 times, and one-fourth of the MIC, the exposure to solithromycin resulted in the progressive loss of viability of most isolates over time. The intracellular activity of solithromycin, combined with the low MICs to this agent, indicates that it may be an attractive option for gonorrhea treatment if clinical trials in development reveal that this drug can be used safely in adult indications, especially when multidrug-resistant clinical isolates are now emerging.
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Innate recognition by neutrophil granulocytes differs between Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains causing local or disseminating infections. Infect Immun 2013; 81:2358-70. [PMID: 23630956 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00128-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) family serve as cellular receptors for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. More specifically, neisserial colony opacity (OpaCEA)) proteins bind to epithelial CEACAMs (CEACAM1, CEA, CEACAM6) to promote bacterial colonization of the mucosa. In contrast, recognition by CEACAM3, expressed by human granulocytes, results in uptake and destruction of Opa(CEA)-expressing bacteria. Therefore, CEACAM3-mediated uptake might limit the spread of gonococci. However, some strains can cause disseminating gonococcal infections (DGIs), and it is currently unknown how these strains escape detection by granulocyte CEACAM3. Therefore, the opa gene loci from N. gonorrhoeae strain VP1, which was derived from a patient with disseminated gonococcal disease, were cloned and constitutively expressed in Escherichia coli. Similar to Opa proteins of the nondisseminating strain MS11, the majority of Opa proteins from strain VP1 bound epithelial CEACAMs and promoted CEACAM-initiated responses by epithelial cells. In sharp contrast to the Opa proteins of strain MS11, the Opa proteins of strain VP1 failed to interact with the human granulocyte receptor CEACAM3. Accordingly, bacteria expressing VP1 Opa proteins were not taken up by primary human granulocytes and did not trigger a strong oxidative burst. Analysis of Opa variants from four additional clinical DGI isolates again demonstrated a lack of CEACAM3 binding. In summary, our results reveal that particular N. gonorrhoeae strains express an Opa protein repertoire allowing engagement of epithelial CEACAMs for successful mucosal colonization, while avoiding recognition and elimination via CEACAM3-mediated phagocytosis. A failure of CEACAM3-mediated innate immune detection might be linked to the ability of gonococci to cause disseminated infections.
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Abstract
The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family comprises a large number of cellular surface molecules, the CEA-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs), which belong to the Ig superfamily. CEACAMs exhibit a complex expression pattern in normal and malignant tissues. The majority of the CEACAMs are cellular adhesion molecules that are involved in a great variety of distinct cellular processes, for example in the integration of cellular responses through homo- and heterophilic adhesion and interaction with a broad selection of signal regulatory proteins, i.e., integrins or cytoskeletal components and tyrosine kinases. Moreover, expression of CEACAMs affects tumor growth, angiogenesis, cellular differentiation, immune responses, and they serve as receptors for commensal and pathogenic microbes. Recently, new insights into CEACAM structure and function became available, providing further elucidation of their kaleidoscopic functions.
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Construction and characterization of a derivative of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain MS11 devoid of all opa genes. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:6468-78. [PMID: 23002223 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00969-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To better understand the role of Opa in gonococcal infections, we created and characterized a derivative of MS11 (MS11Δopa) that had the coding sequence for all 11 Opa proteins deleted. The MS11Δopa bacterium lost the ability to bind to purified lipooligosaccharide (LOS). While nonpiliated MS11Δopa and nonpiliated Opa-expressing MS11 cells grew at the same rate, nonpiliated MS11Δopa cells rarely formed clumps of more than four bacteria when grown in broth with vigorous shaking. Using flow cytometry analysis, we demonstrated that MS11Δopa produced a homogeneous population of bacteria that failed to bind monoclonal antibody (MAb) 4B12, a MAb specific for Opa. Opa-expressing MS11 cells consisted of two predominant populations, where ∼85% bound MAb 4B12 to a significant level and the other population bound little if any MAb. Approximately 90% of bacteria isolated from a phenotypically Opa-negative colony (a colony that does not refract light) failed to bind MAb 4B12; the remaining 10% bound MAb to various degrees. Piliated MS11Δopa cells formed dispersed microcolonies on ME180 cells which were visually distinct from those of piliated Opa-expressing MS11 cells. When Opa expression was reintroduced into MS11Δopa, the adherence ability of the strain recovered to wild-type levels. These data indicate that Opa contributes to both bacterium-bacterium and bacterium-host cell interactions.
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Buntru A, Roth A, Nyffenegger-Jann NJ, Hauck CR. HemITAM signaling by CEACAM3, a human granulocyte receptor recognizing bacterial pathogens. Arch Biochem Biophys 2012; 524:77-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2012.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Revised: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Voges M, Bachmann V, Naujoks J, Kopp K, Hauck CR. Extracellular IgC2 constant domains of CEACAMs mediate PI3K sensitivity during uptake of pathogens. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39908. [PMID: 22768164 PMCID: PMC3386982 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several pathogenic bacteria utilize receptors of the CEACAM family to attach to human cells. Binding to different members of this receptor family can result in uptake of the bacteria. Uptake of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a Gram-negative human pathogen, via CEACAMs found on epithelial cells, such as CEACAM1, CEA or CEACAM6, differs mechanistically from phagocytosis mediated by CEACAM3, a CEACAM family member expressed selectively by human granulocytes. Principal Findings We find that CEACAM1- as well as CEACAM3-mediated bacterial internalization are accompanied by a rapid increase in phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5 phosphate (PI(3,4,5)P) at the site of bacterial entry. However, pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-3′ kinase (PI3K) selectively affects CEACAM1-mediated uptake of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Accordingly, overexpression of the PI(3,4,5)P phosphatase SHIP diminishes and expression of a constitutive active PI3K increases CEACAM1-mediated internalization of gonococci, without influencing uptake by CEACAM3. Furthermore, bacterial uptake by GPI-linked members of the CEACAM family (CEA and CEACAM6) and CEACAM1-mediated internalization of N. meningitidis by endothelial cells require PI3K activity. Sensitivity of CEACAM1-mediated uptake toward PI3K inhibition is independent of receptor localization in cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains and does not require the cytoplasmic or the transmembrane domain of CEACAM1. However, PI3K inhibitor sensitivity requires the IgC2-like domains of CEACAM1, which are also present in CEA and CEACAM6, but which are absent from CEACAM3. Accordingly, overexpression of CEACAM1 IgC2 domains blocks CEACAM1-mediated internalization. Conclusions Our results provide novel mechanistic insight into CEACAM1-mediated endocytosis and suggest that epithelial CEACAMs associate in cis with other membrane receptor(s) via their extracellular domains to trigger bacterial uptake in a PI3K-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maike Voges
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Verena Bachmann
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jan Naujoks
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kathrin Kopp
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christof R. Hauck
- Lehrstuhl Zellbiologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- * E-mail:
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So NSY, Ostrowski MA, Gray-Owen SD. Vigorous response of human innate functioning IgM memory B cells upon infection by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2012; 188:4008-22. [PMID: 22427638 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1100718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the cause of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, elicits low levels of specific Ig that decline rapidly after the bacteria are cleared. Reinfection with the same serovar can occur, and prior gonococcal infection does not alter the Ig response upon subsequent exposure, suggesting that protective immunity is not induced. The mucosal Ig response apparent during gonorrhea does not correlate with that observed systemically, leading to a suggestion that it is locally generated. In considering whether N. gonorrhoeae directly influences B cells, we observed that gonococcal infection prolonged viability of primary human B cells in vitro and elicited robust activation and vigorous proliferative responses in the absence of T cells. Furthermore, we observed the specific expansion of IgD(+)CD27(+) B cells in response to gonococcal infection. These cells are innate in function, conferring protection against diverse microbes by producing low-affinity, broadly reactive IgM without inducing classical immunologic memory. Although gonococcal infection of B cells produced small amounts of gonococcal-specific IgM, IgM specific for irrelevant Ags were also produced, suggesting a broad, polyspecific Ig response. The gonococci were effectively bound and engulfed by B cells. TLR9-inhibitory CpGs blocked B cell responses, indicating that intracellular bacterial degradation allows for innate immune detection within the phagolysosome. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a bacterial pathogen having specific affinity for the human IgM memory B cells, driving their potent activation and polyclonal Ig response. This unfocused T-independent response explains the localized Ig response that occurs, despite an absence of immunologic memory elicited during gonorrhea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy S Y So
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
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A bacterial siren song: intimate interactions between Neisseria and neutrophils. Nat Rev Microbiol 2012; 10:178-90. [PMID: 22290508 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro2713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis are Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that are exquisitely adapted for growth at human mucosal surfaces and for efficient transmission between hosts. One factor that is essential to neisserial pathogenesis is the interaction between the bacteria and neutrophils, which are recruited in high numbers during infection. Although this vigorous host response could simply reflect effective immune recognition of the bacteria, there is mounting evidence that in fact these obligate human pathogens manipulate the innate immune response to promote infectious processes. This Review summarizes the mechanisms used by pathogenic neisseriae to resist and modulate the antimicrobial activities of neutrophils. It also details some of the major outstanding questions about the Neisseria-neutrophil relationship and proposes potential benefits of this relationship for the pathogen.
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Defining the roles of human carcinoembryonic antigen-related cellular adhesion molecules during neutrophil responses to Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun 2011; 80:345-58. [PMID: 22064717 DOI: 10.1128/iai.05702-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Symptomatic infection of humans with Neisseria gonorrhoeae is characterized by a neutrophil-rich cervical or urethral exudate, suggesting that neutrophils are important both for the clearance of these bacteria and for the pathogenesis of gonorrhea. Neisseria interacts with neutrophils through ligation of human carcinoembryonic antigen related-cellular adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) by their surface-expressed Opa proteins, resulting in bacterial binding, engulfment, and neutrophil activation. Multiple CEACAMs are expressed by human neutrophils, and yet their coexpression has precluded understanding of the relative contribution of each CEACAM to functional responses of neutrophils during neisserial infection. In this work, we directly address the role of each CEACAM during infection by introducing individual human CEACAMs into a differentiated murine MPRO cell line-derived neutrophil model. Murine neutrophils cannot bind the human-restricted Neisseria; however, we show that introducing any of the Opa-binding CEACAMs of human neutrophils (CEACAM1, CEACAM3, and CEACAM6) allows binding and entry of Neisseria into murine neutrophils. While CEACAM1- and CEACAM6-expressing neutrophils bind more bacteria, neisserial uptake via these two receptors unexpectedly proceeds without appreciable neutrophil activation. In stark contrast, neisserial engulfment via CEACAM3 recapitulates the oxidative burst and intracellular granule release seen during human neutrophil infection. Finally, by coexpressing multiple CEACAMs in our model, we show that the expression of CEACAM1 and CEACAM6 potentiate, rather than hinder, CEACAM3-dependent responses of neutrophils, exposing a cooperative role for this family of proteins during neisserial infection of neutrophils. These observations illustrate a divergence in function of CEACAMs in neutrophils and implicate the human-restricted CEACAM3 in the neutrophil innate response to neisserial infection.
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Neisseria gonorrhoeae-mediated inhibition of apoptotic signalling in polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Infect Immun 2011; 79:4447-58. [PMID: 21844239 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01267-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae recruits and interacts extensively with polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) during infection. N. gonorrhoeae is able to survive the bactericidal activity of these innate immune cells and can actively modulate PMN functions in vitro. PMNs are short-lived cells which readily undergo apoptosis, and thus the effect of N. gonorrhoeae infection on PMN survival has implications for whether PMNs might serve as an important site of bacterial replication during infection. We developed and validated an HL-60 myeloid leukemia cell culture model for PMN infection and used both these cells and primary PMNs to show that N. gonorrhoeae infection alone does not induce apoptosis and furthermore that N. gonorrhoeae can inhibit both spontaneous apoptosis and apoptosis induced by the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis inducers staurosporine (STS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), respectively. N. gonorrhoeae infection also results in the activation of NF-κB signaling in neutrophils and induces secretion of an identical profile of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in both HL-60 cells and primary PMNs. Our data show that the HL-60 cell line can be used to effectively model N. gonorrhoeae-PMN interactions and that N. gonorrhoeae actively inhibits apoptosis induced by multiple stimuli to prolong PMN survival and potentially facilitate bacterial survival, replication, and transmission.
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Lu SX, Kappel LW, Charbonneau-Allard AM, Atallah R, Holland AM, Turbide C, Hubbard VM, Rotolo JA, Smith M, Suh D, King C, Rao UK, Yim N, Bautista JL, Jenq RR, Penack O, Na IK, Liu C, Murphy G, Alpdogan O, Blumberg RS, Macian F, Holmes KV, Beauchemin N, van den Brink MRM. Ceacam1 separates graft-versus-host-disease from graft-versus-tumor activity after experimental allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21611. [PMID: 21760897 PMCID: PMC3130781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) is a potentially curative therapy for a variety of hematologic diseases, but benefits, including graft-versus-tumor (GVT) activity are limited by graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). Carcinoembryonic antigen related cell adhesion molecule 1 (Ceacam1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein found on epithelium, T cells, and many tumors. It regulates a variety of physiologic and pathological processes such as tumor biology, leukocyte activation, and energy homeostasis. Previous studies suggest that Ceacam1 negatively regulates inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease models. Methods We studied Ceacam1 as a regulator of GVHD and GVT after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) in mouse models. In vivo, Ceacam1−/− T cells caused increased GVHD mortality and GVHD of the colon, and greater numbers of donor T cells were positive for activation markers (CD25hi, CD62Llo). Additionally, Ceacam1−/− CD8 T cells had greater expression of the gut-trafficking integrin α4β7, though both CD4 and CD8 T cells were found increased numbers in the gut post-transplant. Ceacam1−/− recipients also experienced increased GVHD mortality and GVHD of the colon, and alloreactive T cells displayed increased activation. Additionally, Ceacam1−/− mice had increased mortality and decreased numbers of regenerating small intestinal crypts upon radiation exposure. Conversely, Ceacam1-overexpressing T cells caused attenuated target-organ and systemic GVHD, which correlated with decreased donor T cell numbers in target tissues, and mortality. Finally, graft-versus-tumor survival in a Ceacam1+ lymphoma model was improved in animals receiving Ceacam1−/− vs. control T cells. Conclusions We conclude that Ceacam1 regulates T cell activation, GVHD target organ damage, and numbers of donor T cells in lymphoid organs and GVHD target tissues. In recipients of allo-BMT, Ceacam1 may also regulate tissue radiosensitivity. Because of its expression on both the donor graft and host tissues, this suggests that targeting Ceacam1 may represent a potent strategy for the regulation of GVHD and GVT after allogeneic transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney X Lu
- Department of Immunology and Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
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Skubitz KM, Skubitz APN. Two new synthetic peptides from the N-domain of CEACAM1 (CD66a) stimulate neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells. Biopolymers 2011; 96:25-31. [PMID: 20560140 DOI: 10.1002/bip.21447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Four members of the carcinoembryonic antigen family, CEACAMs 1, 3, 6, and 8, are expressed on human neutrophils and can trigger an activation signal that increases neutrophil adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers. To identify active sites on CEACAM1, we previously performed molecular modeling using IgG and CD4 as models, and 28 peptides of 14 amino acids in length were synthesized that were predicted to be present at loops and turns between β-sheets. Three peptides, each from the N-terminal domain, increased neutrophil adhesion to HUVEC monolayers and upregulated cell-surface CD11b/CD18 expression on neutrophils. In our earlier study, one N-domain peptide (CD66a-7) was not successfully synthesized, and another N-domain peptide (CD66a-6) was not soluble in the assay system. In the present study, we have now successfully synthesized CD66a-7, and a new peptide (CD66a-6L), that is a modification of the peptide that was insoluble in the earlier study. Both of these new peptides increased neutrophil adhesion to HUVEC monolayers. Importantly, the amino acid sequence of CD66a-7 is identical to the homologous peptides from CEACAMs 3, 5, and 6, but differs from the homologous peptide of CEACAM8, which was not active in this system. CD66a-6L is identical to the homologous peptide from CEACAM6. The data suggest that peptide motifs from at least five regions of the N-terminal domain of CEACAM1 are involved in the interaction of CEACAM1 with other ligands and can initiate signal transduction in neutrophils. Some of these active peptides are identical to homologous regions of other CEACAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith M Skubitz
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Kuespert K, Roth A, Hauck CR. Neisseria meningitidis has two independent modes of recognizing its human receptor CEACAM1. PLoS One 2011; 6:e14609. [PMID: 21298042 PMCID: PMC3029278 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2010] [Accepted: 12/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several human-restricted gram-negative bacteria exploit carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) for host colonization. For example, Neisseria meningitidis engages these human receptors via outer membrane proteins of the colony opacity-associated (Opa) protein family triggering internalization into non-phagocytic cells. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We report that a non-opaque strain of N. meningitidis selectively interacts with CEACAM1, but not other CEACAM family members. Using functional assays of bacterial adhesion and internalisation, microscopic analysis, and a panel of CEACAM1 deletion mutants we demonstrate that the engagement of CEACAM1 by non-opaque meningococci occurs in a manner distinct from Opa protein-mediated association. In particular, the amino-terminal domain of CEACAM1 is necessary, but not sufficient for Opa protein-independent binding, which requires multiple extracellular domains of the human receptor in a cellular context. Knock-down of CEACAM1 interferes with binding to lung epithelial cells, whereas chemical or pharmacological disruption of host protein glycosylation does not abrogate CEACAM1 recognition by non-opaque meningococci. The previously characterized meningococcal invasins NadA or Opc do not operate in a CEACAM1-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate a mechanistically distinct, Opa protein-independent interaction between N. meningitidis and human CEACAM1. Our functional investigations suggest the presence of a second CEACAM1-binding invasin on the meningococcal surface that associates with the protein backbone and not the carbohydrate structures of CEACAM1. The redundancy in meningococcal CEACAM1-binding factors further highlights the important role of CEACAM recognition in the biology of this human-adapted pathogen.
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Sadarangani M, Pollard AJ, Gray-Owen SD. Opa proteins and CEACAMs: pathways of immune engagement for pathogenic Neisseria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2011; 35:498-514. [PMID: 21204865 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2010.00260.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are globally important pathogens, which in part owe their success to their ability to successfully evade human immune responses over long periods. The phase-variable opacity-associated (Opa) adhesin proteins are a major surface component of these organisms, and are responsible for bacterial adherence and entry into host cells and interactions with the immune system. Most immune interactions are mediated via binding to members of the carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) family. These Opa variants are able to bind to different receptors of the CEACAM family on epithelial cells, neutrophils, and T and B lymphocytes, influencing the innate and adaptive immune responses. Increased epithelial cell adhesion creates the potential for prolonged infection, invasion and dissemination. Furthermore, Opa proteins may inhibit T-lymphocyte activation and proliferation, B-cell antibody production, and innate inflammatory responses by infected epithelia, in addition to conferring increased resistance to antibody-dependent, complement-mediated killing. While vaccines containing Opa proteins could induce adhesion-blocking and bactericidal antibodies, the consequence of CEACAM binding by a candidate Opa-containing vaccine requires further investigation. This review summarizes current knowledge of the immunological consequences of the interaction between meningococcal and gonococcal Opa proteins and human CEACAMs, considering the implications for pathogenesis and vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Sadarangani
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK.
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Buntru A, Kopp K, Voges M, Frank R, Bachmann V, Hauck CR. Phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase activity is critical for initiating the oxidative burst and bacterial destruction during CEACAM3-mediated phagocytosis. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:9555-66. [PMID: 21216968 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.216085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 3 (CEACAM3) is an immunoglobulin-related receptor expressed on human granulocytes. CEACAM3 functions as a single chain phagocytotic receptor recognizing gram-negative bacteria such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which possess CEACAM-binding adhesins on their surface. The cytoplasmic domain of CEACAM3 contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-like sequence that is phosphorylated upon receptor engagement. Here we show that the SH2 domains of the regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K) bind to tyrosine residue 230 of CEACAM3 in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. PI3K is rapidly recruited and directly associates with CEACAM3 upon bacterial binding as shown by FRET analysis. Although PI3K activity is not required for efficient uptake of the bacteria by CEACAM3-transfected cells or primary human granulocytes, it is critical for the stimulated production of reactive oxygen species by infected phagocytes and the intracellular degradation of CEACAM-binding bacteria. Together, our results highlight the ability of CEACAM3 to coordinate signaling events that not only mediate bacterial uptake, but also trigger the killing of internalized pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Buntru
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiologie, Universität Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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Fujita M, Otsuka T, Mizuno M, Tomi C, Yamamura T, Miyake S. Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 modulates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via an iNKT cell-dependent mechanism. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2009; 175:1116-23. [PMID: 19700760 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.090265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cellular adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) is a CEA family member that has been reported to have an important role in the regulation of Th1-mediated colitis. In this study, we examined the role of CEACAM1 in an animal model of multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Treatment of C57BL/6J mice with CEACAM1-Fc fusion protein, a homophilic ligand of CEACAM1, inhibited the severity of EAE and reduced myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-derived peptide (MOG(35-55))-reactive interferon-gamma and interleukin-17 production. In contrast, treatment of these animals with AgB10, an anti-mouse CEACAM1 blocking monoclonal antibody, generated increased severity of EAE in association with increased MOG(35-55)-specific induction of both interferon-gamma and interleukin-17. These results indicated that the signal elicited through CEACAM1 ameliorated EAE disease severity. Furthermore, we found that there was both a rapid and enhanced expression of CEACAM1 on invariant natural killer T cells after activation. The effect of CEACAM1-Fc fusion protein and anti-CEACAM1 mAb on both EAE and MOG(35-55)-reactive cytokine responses were abolished in invariant natural killer T cell-deficient Jalpha18(-/-) mice. Taken together, the ligation of CEACAM1 negatively regulates the severity of EAE by reducing MOG(35-55)-specific induction of both interferon-gamma and interleukin-17 via invariant natural killer T cell-dependent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Fujita
- Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
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Skubitz KM, Skubitz APN. Interdependency of CEACAM-1, -3, -6, and -8 induced human neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells. J Transl Med 2008; 6:78. [PMID: 19077207 PMCID: PMC2628881 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-6-78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2008] [Accepted: 12/10/2008] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the carcinoembryonic antigen family (CEACAMs) are widely expressed, and, depending on the tissue, capable of regulating diverse functions including tumor promotion, tumor suppression, angiogenesis, and neutrophil activation. Four members of this family, CEACAM1, CEACAM8, CEACAM6, and CEACAM3 (recognized by CD66a, CD66b, CD66c, and CD66d mAbs, respectively), are expressed on human neutrophils. CD66a, CD66b, CD66c, and CD66d antibodies each increase neutrophil adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers. This increase in neutrophil adhesion caused by CD66 antibodies is blocked by CD18 mAbs and is associated with upregulation of CD11/CD18 on the neutrophil surface. To examine potential interactions of CEACAMs in neutrophil signaling, the effects on neutrophil adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells of a set of CD66 mAbs was tested following desensitization to stimulation by various combinations of these mAbs. Addition of a CD66 mAb in the absence of calcium results in desensitization of neutrophils to stimulation by that CD66 mAb. The current data show that desensitization of neutrophils to any two CEACAMs results in selective desensitization to those two CEACAMs, while the cells remain responsive to the other two neutrophil CEACAMs. In addition, cells desensitized to CEACAM-3, -6, and -8 were still responsive to stimulation of CEACAM1 by CD66a mAbs. In contrast, desensitization of cells to CEACAM1 and any two of the other CEACAMs left the cells unresponsive to all CD66 mAbs. Cells desensitized to any combination of CEACAMs remained responsive to the unrelated control protein CD63. Thus, while there is significant independence of the four neutrophil CEACAMs in signaling, CEACAM1 appears to play a unique role among the neutrophil CEACAMs. A model in which CEACAMs dimerize to form signaling complexes could accommodate the observations. Similar interactions may occur in other cells expressing CEACAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith M Skubitz
- The Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Criss AK, Seifert HS. Neisseria gonorrhoeae suppresses the oxidative burst of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Cell Microbiol 2008; 10:2257-70. [PMID: 18684112 PMCID: PMC2692872 DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2008.01205.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Symptomatic infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc) results in a potent polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)-driven inflammatory response, but the mechanisms by which Gc withstands PMN attack are poorly defined. Here we report that Gc can suppress the PMN oxidative burst, a central component of the PMN antimicrobial arsenal. Primary human PMNs remained viable after exposure to liquid-grown, exponential-phase, opacity-associated protein (Opa)-negative Gc of strains FA1090 and MS11 but did not generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), even after bacterial opsonization. Liquid-grown FA1090 Gc expressing OpaB, an Opa protein previously correlated with PMN ROS production, elicited a minor PMN oxidative burst. PMN ROS production in response to Opa(-) and OpaB+ Gc was markedly enhanced if bacteria were agar-grown or if liquid-grown bacteria were heat-killed. Liquid-grown Opa(-) Gc inhibited the PMN oxidative burst elicited by isogenic dead bacteria, formylated peptides or Staphylococcus aureus but did not inhibit PMN ROS production by OpaB+ Gc or phorbol esters. Suppression of the oxidative burst required Gc-PMN contact and bacterial protein synthesis but not phagocytosis. These results suggest that viable Gc directly inhibits PMN signalling pathways required for induction of the oxidative burst, which may contribute to gonococcal pathogenesis during inflammatory stages of gonorrhoeal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison K Criss
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Moraxella catarrhalis binding to host cellular receptors is mediated by sequence-specific determinants not conserved among all UspA1 protein variants. Infect Immun 2008; 76:5322-9. [PMID: 18678656 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00572-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Moraxella catarrhalis ubiquitous surface proteins (UspAs) are autotransporter molecules reported to interact with a variety of different host proteins and to affect processes ranging from serum resistance to cellular adhesion. The role of UspA1 as an adhesin has been confirmed with a number of different human cell types and is mediated by binding to eukaryotic proteins including carcinoembryonic antigen-related cellular adhesion molecules (CEACAMs), fibronectin, and laminin. A distinct difference in the ability of prototypical M. catarrhalis strains to adhere to CEACAM-expressing cell lines prompted us to perform strain-specific structure-function analyses of UspA1 proteins. In this study, we characterized CEACAM binding by a diverse set of UspA1 proteins and showed that 3 out of 10 UspA1 proteins were incapable of binding CEACAM. This difference resulted from the absence of a distinct CEACAM binding motif in nonadhering strains. Our sequence analysis also revealed a single M. catarrhalis isolate that lacked the fibronectin-binding motif and was defective in adherence to Chang conjunctival epithelial cells. These results clearly demonstrate that UspA1-associated adhesive functions are not universally conserved. Instead, UspA1 proteins must be considered as variants with the potential to confer both different cell tropisms and host cell responses.
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Lee HSW, Ostrowski MA, Gray-Owen SD. CEACAM1 dynamics during neisseria gonorrhoeae suppression of CD4+ T lymphocyte activation. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2008; 180:6827-35. [PMID: 18453603 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.10.6827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae colony opacity-associated (Opa) proteins bind to human carcinoembryonic antigen cellular adhesion molecules (CEACAM) found on host cells including T lymphocytes. Opa binding to CEACAM1 suppresses the activation of CD4(+) T cells in response to a variety of stimuli. In this study, we use primary human CD4(+) T cells isolated from peripheral blood to define the molecular events occurring subsequent to Opa-CEACAM1 binding. We establish that, in contrast to other cell types, T cells do not engulf N. gonorrhoeae upon CEACAM1 binding. Instead, the bacteria recruit CEACAM1 from intracellular stores and maintain it on the T cell surface. Upon TCR ligation, the co-engaged CEACAM1 becomes phosphorylated on tyrosine residues within the ITIMs apparent in the cytoplasmic domain. This allows the recruitment and subsequent activation of the src homology domain 2-containing tyrosine phosphatases SHP-1 and SHP-2 at the site of bacterial attachment, which prevents the normal tyrosine phosphorylation of the CD3zeta-chain and ZAP-70 kinase in response to TCR engagement. Combined, this dynamic response allows the bacteria to effectively harness the coinhibitory function of CEACAM1 to suppress the adaptive immune response at its earliest step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah S W Lee
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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