scholarly journals Actin Cytoskeleton Manipulation by Effector Proteins Secreted by DiarrheagenicEscherichia coliPathotypes

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Navarro-Garcia ◽  
Antonio Serapio-Palacios ◽  
Paul Ugalde-Silva ◽  
Gabriela Tapia-Pastrana ◽  
Lucia Chavez-Dueñas

The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic structure necessary for cell and tissue organization, including the maintenance of epithelial barriers. Disruption of the epithelial barrier coincides with alterations of the actin cytoskeleton in several disease states. These disruptions primarily affect the paracellular space, which is normally regulated by tight junctions. Thereby, the actin cytoskeleton is a common and recurring target of bacterial virulence factors. In order to manipulate the actin cytoskeleton, bacteria secrete and inject toxins and effectors to hijack the host cell machinery, which interferes with host-cell pathways and with a number of actin binding proteins. An interesting model to study actin manipulation by bacterial effectors isEscherichia colisince due to its genome plasticity it has acquired diverse genetic mobile elements, which allow having differentE. colivarieties in one bacterial species. TheseE. colipathotypes, including intracellular and extracellular bacteria, interact with epithelial cells, and their interactions depend on a specific combination of virulence factors. In this paper we focus onE. colieffectors that mimic host cell proteins to manipulate the actin cytoskeleton. The study of bacterial effector-cytoskeleton interaction will contribute not only to the comprehension of the molecular causes of infectious diseases but also to increase our knowledge of cell biology.

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 513-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiejie Li ◽  
Christopher J. Staiger

The plant cytoskeleton is a dynamic framework of cytoplasmic filaments that rearranges as the needs of the cell change during growth and development. Incessant turnover mechanisms allow these networks to be rapidly redeployed in defense of host cytoplasm against microbial invaders. Both chemical and mechanical stimuli are recognized as danger signals to the plant, and these are perceived and transduced into cytoskeletal dynamics and architecture changes through a collection of well-recognized, previously characterized players. Recent advances in quantitative cell biology approaches, along with the powerful molecular genetics techniques associated with Arabidopsis, have uncovered two actin-binding proteins as key intermediaries in the immune response to phytopathogens and defense signaling. Certain bacterial phytopathogens have adapted to the cytoskeletal-based defense mechanism during the basal immune response and have evolved effector proteins that target actin filaments and microtubules to subvert transcriptional reprogramming, secretion of defense-related proteins, and cell wall–based defenses. In this review, we describe current knowledge about host cytoskeletal dynamics operating at the crossroads of the molecular and cellular arms race between microbes and plants.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Joshua PM Newson

The bacterium Salmonella causes a spectrum of foodborne diseases ranging from acute gastroenteritis to systemic infections, and represents a significant burden of disease globally. In Australia, Salmonella is frequently associated with outbreaks and is a leading cause of foodborne illness, which results in a significant medical and economic burden. Salmonella infection involves colonisation of the small intestine, where the bacteria invades host cells and establishes an intracellular infection. To survive within host cells, Salmonella employs type-three secretion systems to deliver bacterial effector proteins into the cytoplasm of host cells. These bacterial effectors seek out and modify specific host proteins, disrupting host processes such as cell signalling, intracellular trafficking, and programmed cell death. This strategy of impairing host cells allows Salmonella to establish a replicative niche within the cell, where they can replicate to high numbers before escaping to infect neighbouring cells, or be transmitted to new hosts. While the importance of effector protein translocation to infection is well established, our understanding of many effector proteins remains incomplete. Many Salmonella effectors have unknown function and unknown roles during infection. A greater understanding of how Salmonella manipulates host cells during infection will lead to improved strategies to prevent, control, and eliminate disease. Further, studying effector proteins can be a useful means for exploring host cell biology and elucidating the details of host cell signalling.


1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (13) ◽  
pp. 3393-3399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yixin Fu ◽  
Jorge E. Galán

ABSTRACT Salmonella typhimurium uses of a type III protein secretion system encoded at centisome 63 of its chromosome to deliver effector molecules into the host cell. These proteins stimulate host cell responses such as reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and activation of transcription factors. One of these effector proteins is SptP, a tyrosine phosphatase that causes disruption of the host cell actin cytoskeleton. A characteristic feature of many substrates of type III secretion systems is their association with specific cytoplasmic chaperones which appears to be required for secretion and/or translocation of these proteins into the host cell. We report here the identification of SicP, a 13-kDa acidic polypeptide that is encoded immediately upstream of sptP. A loss-of-function mutation in sicP resulted in drastically reduced levels of SptP but did not affect sptP expression, indicating that SicP exerts its effect posttranscriptionally. Pulse-chase experiments demonstrated that the loss of SicP leads to increased degradation of SptP. In addition, we show that SicP binds to SptP directly and that the binding site is located between residues 15 and 100 of the tyrosine phosphatase. Taken together, these results indicate that SicP acts as a specific chaperone for SptP.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Callum Lambert

<p>Bartonella is a genus of gram-negative alphaproteobacteria that infect mammals, causing both acute and chronic disease. Bartonella are re-emerging infectious pathogens that cause a variety of clinical syndromes in humans worldwide, including cat scratch disease, trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, and endocarditis. Bartonella spp. are spread by biting arthropods such as the sand fly, cat flea, and body louse, and have been isolated from almost all mammalian species tested. Bartonella are a re-emerging concern as the number of confirmed Bartonella diagnoses are increasing, primarily in immunocompromised groups, homeless populations, refugee camps, and in veterinary workers. The three primary human disease-causing Bartonella spp. are B. henselae, B. quintana, and B. bacilliformis. Bartonella are known to subvert the host immune system and persist within the host, often causing bacteraemia which is difficult to effectively diagnose and treat. B. quintana infects humans; after introduction to the skin the bacteria implement numerous immune evasion mechanisms to enter the bloodstream and invade erythrocytes. The mechanisms by which B. quintana modulates and evades the immune system during early infection are almost entirely unknown. Following exposure to B. quintana, the bacteria encounter host immune cells but survive, evading these cells and disseminating into the lymphatic system and eventually bloodstream. This thesis project aimed to dissect the interactions between B. quintana and the human innate immune system to better understand the early stages of infection. A gentamicin protection assay was developed to investigate the ability of THP-1 macrophages, representing human macrophages present in the skin, to internalise B. quintana. These data revealed THP-1 cells were unable to effectively internalise B. quintana, although the mechanism responsible was not determined. Subsequent experiments investigated the role of the B. quintana Type IV secreted effector protein BepA1 in the inhibition of internalisation. Bacterial effector proteins often pathogenically modulate host cell signalling to benefit the bacteria, i.e., altering the actin cytoskeleton to inhibit phagocytosis or supressing immune responses. It was hypothesised BepA1 could play a role in inhibiting phagocytosis; therefore, the host cell target of BepA1 was investigated with a yeast two-hybrid system assay. The human protein Myozap was uncovered as a potential protein that interacts with BepA1. Myozap is expressed in cardiac and lung tissue as well as epithelial and endothelial cells, where it modulates Rho-dependent actin signalling, potentially affecting the actin cytoskeleton and the transcription factor MRTF-A, which influences immune reaction through modulation of NF-κB. To investigate the functional effects of BepA1 activity in host cells, HeLa cells were transfected with BepA1; cell migration and cytokine secretion were assessed, revealing a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines in BepA1-transfected cells in response to TNF-a stimulation. These data suggest BepA1 may be deployed by B. quintana during infection to suppress the host immune response and avoid clearance from the site of infection. This research addressed a major gap in our understanding of B. quintana infections. Improving our understanding of the interactions between Bartonella and the host immune system is an essential first step in the development of improved diagnostic techniques and treatments.   </p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda House

Escherichia coli 0157:H7 infection is a leading cause of hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Many opportunities for acid stress exposure exist for this food and waterborne pathogen, including gastric acid shock. Yet little is known how this affects E.coli 0157:H7 virulence. The effect of various acid stress protocols on E. coli 0157:H7 survival, verotoxin production, and the ability to adhere to host epithelial cells was examined. Brief acid shock alone at pH 3.0 decreased the host cell adhesion capability by a factor of 4.3-4.8, yet when the acid shock was preceded by adaptation at pH 5.0, a 1.6-3.2 fold enhanced adhesion of surviving organisms to epithelial cells relative to unstressed organisms was observed. However, acid stress did not affect verotoxin production. Pretreatment of acid stressed bacteria with erythromycin eliminated the acid-induced adhesion enhancement, suggesting that protein synthesis is a requirement for the enhanced adhesion observed with acid-adapted acid-shocked E.coli 0157:H7. Real time PCR analysis of locus for enterocyte effacement (LEE)-encoded virulence factors, intimin and EspA, revealed no significant upregulation for the acid stress treatments associated with the increased host cell adhesion. On the contrary, elevated mRNA levels for both intimin and EspA were observed for bacteria subjected to brief acid shock alone even though the host-cell adhesion was significatly decreased with these treatments. These results suggest that complex regulation mechanisms for LEE encoded virulence factors exists and that E. coli 0157:H7 virulence can be enhanced after acid stress through increased adhesion to host epithelial cells.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suchita Rastogi ◽  
Yuan Xue ◽  
Stephen R. Quake ◽  
John C. Boothroyd

ABSTRACTThe intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii employs a vast array of effector proteins from the rhoptry and dense granule organelles to modulate host cell biology; these effectors are known as ROPs and GRAs, respectively. To examine the individual impacts of ROPs and GRAs on host gene expression, we developed a robust, novel protocol to enrich for ultra-pure populations of a naturally occurring and reproducible population of host cells called uninfected-injected (U-I) cells, which Toxoplasma injects with ROPs but subsequently fails to invade. We then performed single cell transcriptomic analysis at 1-3 hours post-infection on U-I cells (as well as on uninfected and infected controls) arising from infection with either wild type parasites or parasites lacking the MYR1 protein, which is required for soluble GRAs to cross the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) and reach the host cell cytosol. Based on comparisons of infected and U-I cells, the host’s earliest response to infection appears to be driven primarily by the injected ROPs, which appear to induce immune and cellular stress pathways. These ROP-dependent pro-inflammatory signatures appear to be counteracted by at least some of the MYR1-dependent GRAs and may be enhanced by the MYR-independent GRAs, (which are found embedded within the PVM). Finally, signatures detected in uninfected bystander cells from the infected monolayers suggests that MYR1-dependent paracrine effects also counteract inflammatory ROP-dependent processes.IMPORTANCEThis work performs the first transcriptomic analysis of U-I cells, captures the earliest stage of a host cell’s interaction with Toxoplasma gondii, and dissects the effects of individual classes of parasite effectors on host cell biology.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Felipe Velásquez ◽  
Josefina Marín-Rojas ◽  
Ricardo Soto-Rifo ◽  
Alexia Torres ◽  
Felipe Del Canto ◽  
...  

Escherichia coli, one of the most abundant bacterial species in the human gut microbiota, has developed a mutualistic relationship with its host, regulating immunological responses. In contrast, enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), one of the main etiologic agents of diarrheal morbidity and mortality in children under the age of five in developing countries, has developed mechanisms to reduce the immune-activator effect to carry out a successful infection. Following infection, the host cell initiates the shutting-off of protein synthesis and stress granule (SG) assembly. This is mostly mediated by the phosphorylation of translation initiator factor 2α (eIF2α). We therefore evaluated the ability of a non-pathogenic E. coli strain (E. coli HS) and an ETEC strain (ETEC 1766a) to induce stress granule assembly, even in response to exogenous stresses. In this work, we found that infection with E. coli HS or ETEC 1766a prevents SG assembly in Caco-2 cells treated with sodium arsenite (Ars) after infection. We also show that this effect occurs through an eIF2α phosphorylation (eIF2α-P)-dependent mechanism. Understanding how bacteria counters host stress responses will lay the groundwork for new therapeutic strategies to bolster host cell immune defenses against these pathogens.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Callum Lambert

<p>Bartonella is a genus of gram-negative alphaproteobacteria that infect mammals, causing both acute and chronic disease. Bartonella are re-emerging infectious pathogens that cause a variety of clinical syndromes in humans worldwide, including cat scratch disease, trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, and endocarditis. Bartonella spp. are spread by biting arthropods such as the sand fly, cat flea, and body louse, and have been isolated from almost all mammalian species tested. Bartonella are a re-emerging concern as the number of confirmed Bartonella diagnoses are increasing, primarily in immunocompromised groups, homeless populations, refugee camps, and in veterinary workers. The three primary human disease-causing Bartonella spp. are B. henselae, B. quintana, and B. bacilliformis. Bartonella are known to subvert the host immune system and persist within the host, often causing bacteraemia which is difficult to effectively diagnose and treat. B. quintana infects humans; after introduction to the skin the bacteria implement numerous immune evasion mechanisms to enter the bloodstream and invade erythrocytes. The mechanisms by which B. quintana modulates and evades the immune system during early infection are almost entirely unknown. Following exposure to B. quintana, the bacteria encounter host immune cells but survive, evading these cells and disseminating into the lymphatic system and eventually bloodstream. This thesis project aimed to dissect the interactions between B. quintana and the human innate immune system to better understand the early stages of infection. A gentamicin protection assay was developed to investigate the ability of THP-1 macrophages, representing human macrophages present in the skin, to internalise B. quintana. These data revealed THP-1 cells were unable to effectively internalise B. quintana, although the mechanism responsible was not determined. Subsequent experiments investigated the role of the B. quintana Type IV secreted effector protein BepA1 in the inhibition of internalisation. Bacterial effector proteins often pathogenically modulate host cell signalling to benefit the bacteria, i.e., altering the actin cytoskeleton to inhibit phagocytosis or supressing immune responses. It was hypothesised BepA1 could play a role in inhibiting phagocytosis; therefore, the host cell target of BepA1 was investigated with a yeast two-hybrid system assay. The human protein Myozap was uncovered as a potential protein that interacts with BepA1. Myozap is expressed in cardiac and lung tissue as well as epithelial and endothelial cells, where it modulates Rho-dependent actin signalling, potentially affecting the actin cytoskeleton and the transcription factor MRTF-A, which influences immune reaction through modulation of NF-κB. To investigate the functional effects of BepA1 activity in host cells, HeLa cells were transfected with BepA1; cell migration and cytokine secretion were assessed, revealing a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines in BepA1-transfected cells in response to TNF-a stimulation. These data suggest BepA1 may be deployed by B. quintana during infection to suppress the host immune response and avoid clearance from the site of infection. This research addressed a major gap in our understanding of B. quintana infections. Improving our understanding of the interactions between Bartonella and the host immune system is an essential first step in the development of improved diagnostic techniques and treatments.   </p>


Author(s):  
Bethany Vaughn ◽  
Yousef Abu Kwaik

While most bacterial species taken up by macrophages are degraded through processing of the bacteria-containing vacuole through the endosomal-lysosomal degradation pathway, intravacuolar pathogens have evolved to evade degradation through the endosomal-lysosomal pathway. All intra-vacuolar pathogens possess specialized secretion systems (T3SS-T7SS) that inject effector proteins into the host cell cytosol to modulate myriad of host cell processes and remodel their vacuoles into proliferative niches. Although intravacuolar pathogens utilize similar secretion systems to interfere with their vacuole biogenesis, each pathogen has evolved a unique toolbox of protein effectors injected into the host cell to interact with, and modulate, distinct host cell targets. Thus, intravacuolar pathogens have evolved clear idiosyncrasies in their interference with their vacuole biogenesis to generate a unique intravacuolar niche suitable for their own proliferation. While there has been a quantum leap in our knowledge of modulation of phagosome biogenesis by intravacuolar pathogens, the detailed biochemical and cellular processes affected remain to be deciphered. Here we discuss how the intravacuolar bacterial pathogens Salmonella, Chlamydia, Mycobacteria, Legionella, Brucella, Coxiella, and Anaplasma utilize their unique set of effectors injected into the host cell to interfere with endocytic, exocytic, and ER-to-Golgi vesicle traffic. However, Coxiella is the main exception for a bacterial pathogen that proliferates within the hydrolytic lysosomal compartment, but its T4SS is essential for adaptation and proliferation within the lysosomal-like vacuole.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (11) ◽  
pp. 3506-3517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan M. Mancl ◽  
Cristian Suarez ◽  
Wenguang G. Liang ◽  
David R. Kovar ◽  
Wei-Jen Tang

Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject cytotoxic effector proteins into host cells. The promiscuous nucleotidyl cyclase, exoenzyme Y (ExoY), is one of the most common effectors found in clinical P. aeruginosa isolates. Recent studies have revealed that the nucleotidyl cyclase activity of ExoY is stimulated by actin filaments (F-actin) and that ExoY alters actin cytoskeleton dynamics in vitro, via an unknown mechanism. The actin cytoskeleton plays an important role in numerous key biological processes and is targeted by many pathogens to gain competitive advantages. We utilized total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, bulk actin assays, and EM to investigate how ExoY impacts actin dynamics. We found that ExoY can directly bundle actin filaments with high affinity, comparable with eukaryotic F-actin–bundling proteins, such as fimbrin. Of note, ExoY enzymatic activity was not required for F-actin bundling. Bundling is known to require multiple actin-binding sites, yet small-angle X-ray scattering experiments revealed that ExoY is a monomer in solution, and previous data suggested that ExoY possesses only one actin-binding site. We therefore hypothesized that ExoY oligomerizes in response to F-actin binding and have used the ExoY structure to construct a dimer-based structural model for the ExoY–F-actin complex. Subsequent mutational analyses suggested that the ExoY oligomerization interface plays a crucial role in mediating F-actin bundling. Our results indicate that ExoY represents a new class of actin-binding proteins that modulate the actin cytoskeleton both directly, via F-actin bundling, and indirectly, via actin-activated nucleotidyl cyclase activity.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document