| 1. |
- Bavdek, Andrej, et al.
(författare)
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Sterol and pH interdependence in the binding, oligomerization, and pore formation of Listeriolysin O.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Biochemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0006-2960 .- 1520-4995. ; 46:14, s. 4425-4437
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Listeriolysin O (LLO) is the most important virulence factor of the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Its main task is to enable escape of bacteria from the phagosomal vacuole into the cytoplasm. LLO belongs to the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) family but differs from other members, as it exhibits optimal activity at low pH. Its pore forming ability at higher pH values has been largely disregarded in Listeria pathogenesis. Here we show that high cholesterol concentrations in the membrane restore the low activity of LLO at high pH values. LLO binds to lipid membranes, at physiological or even slightly basic pH values, in a cholesterol-dependent fashion. Binding, insertion into lipid monolayers, and permeabilization of calcein-loaded liposomes are maximal above approximately 35 mol % cholesterol, a concentration range typically found in lipid rafts. The narrow transition region of cholesterol concentration separating low and high activity indicates that cholesterol not only allows the binding of LLO to membranes but also affects other steps in pore formation. We were able to detect some of these by surface plasmon resonance-based assays. In particular, we show that LLO recognition of cholesterol is determined by the most exposed 3beta-hydroxy group of cholesterol. In addition, LLO binds and permeabilizes J774 cells and human erythrocytes in a cholesterol-dependent fashion at physiological or slightly basic pH values. The results clearly show that LLO activity at physiological pH cannot be neglected and that its action at sites distal to cell entry may have important physiological consequences for Listeria pathogenesis.
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| 2. |
- Dietrich, Nicole, et al.
(författare)
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Mast cells elicit proinflammatory but not type I interferon responses upon activation of TLRs by bacteria.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 107:19, s. 8748-8753
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Balanced induction of proinflammatory and type I IFN responses upon activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) determines the outcome of microbial infections and the pathogenesis of autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases. Mast cells, key components of the innate immune system, are known for their debilitating role in allergy and autoimmunity. However, their role in antimicrobial host defenses is being acknowledged increasingly. How mast cells interact with microbes and the nature of responses triggered thereby is not well characterized. Here we show that in response to TLR activation by Gram-positive and -negative bacteria or their components, mast cells elicit proinflammatory but not type I IFN responses. We demonstrate that in mast cells, bound bacteria and TLR ligands remain trapped at the cell surface and do not undergo internalization, a prerequisite for type I IFN induction. Such cells, however, can elicit type I IFNs in response to vesicular stomatitis virus which accesses the cytosolic retinoic acid-inducible gene I receptor. Although important for antiviral immunity, a strong I IFN response is known to contribute to pathogenesis of several bacterial pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes. Interestingly, we observed that the mast cell-dependent neutrophil mobilization upon L. monocytogenes infection is highly impaired by IFN-beta. Thus, the fact that mast cells, although endowed with the capacity to elicit type I IFNs in response to viral infection, elicit only proinflammatory responses upon bacterial infection shows that mast cells, key effector cells of the innate immune system, are well adjusted for optimal antibacterial and antiviral responses.
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| 3. |
- Dietrich, Nicole, et al.
(författare)
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Murine toll-like receptor 2 activation induces type I interferon responses from endolysosomal compartments.
- 2010
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Ingår i: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 5:4, s. e10250-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The results indicate that TLR2 activation induces pro-inflammatory and type I interferon responses from distinct subcellular sites: the plasma membrane and endolysosomal compartments respectively. Apart from identifying and characterizing a novel pathway for induction of type I interferons, the present study offers new insights into how TLR signaling discriminates and regulates the nature of responses to be elicited against extracellular and endocytosed microbes. These findings may also have clinical implication. Excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and type I IFNs following activation of TLRs is a central pathologic event in several hyper-inflammatory conditions. The discovery that the induction of pro-inflammatory and type I IFN responses can be uncoupled through pharmacological manipulation of endolysosomal acidification suggests new avenues for potential therapeutic intervention against inflammations and sepsis.
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| 4. |
- Gekara, Nelson O, et al.
(författare)
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Listeria monocytogenes desensitizes immune cells to subsequent Ca2+ signaling via listeriolysin O-induced depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Infection and Immunity. - 0019-9567 .- 1098-5522. ; 76:2, s. 857-862
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Listeriolysin O (LLO), the pore-forming toxin of Listeria monocytogenes, is a prototype of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) secreted by several pathogenic and nonpathogenic gram-positive bacteria. In addition to mediating the escape of the bacterium into the cytosol, this toxin is generally believed to be a central player in host-pathogen interactions during L. monocytogenes infection. LLO triggers the influx of Ca(2+) into host cells as well as the release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores. Thus, many of the cellular responses induced by LLO are related to calcium signaling. Interestingly, in this study, we report that prolonged exposure to LLO desensitizes cells to Ca(2+) mobilization upon subsequent stimulations with LLO. Cells preexposed to LLO-positive L. monocytogenes but not to the LLO-deficient Deltahly mutant were found to be highly refractory to Ca(2+) induction in response to receptor-mediated stimulation. Such cells also exhibited diminished Ca(2+) signals in response to stimulation with LLO and thapsigargin. The presented results suggest that this phenomenon is due to the depletion of intracellular Ca(2+) stores. The ability of LLO to desensitize immune cells provides a significant hint about the possible role played by CDCs in the evasion of the immune system by bacterial pathogens.
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| 5. |
- Gekara, Nelson O., et al.
(författare)
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Listeria monocytogenes induces T cell receptor unresponsiveness through pore-forming toxin listeriolysin O
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Oxford University Press. - 0022-1899 .- 1537-6613. ; 202:11, s. 1698-1707
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The success of many pathogens relies on their ability to circumvent the innate and adaptive immune defenses. How bacterial pathogens subvert adaptive immune defenses is not clear. Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) represent an expansive family of homologous pore-forming toxins that are produced by more than 20 gram-positive bacterial species. Listeriolysin O (LLO), a prototype CDC, is the main virulence factor of Listeria monocytogenes.Methods: We employed flow cytometric and microarray techniques to analyze the effect of LLO on T cell activation in vitro and in vivo.Results: In vivo and in vitro proliferation of CD4+T cells upon T cell receptor (TCR) activation was highly diminished in the presence of LLO or wild-type L. monocytogenes but not in the presence of LLO-deficient L. monocytogenes. This block in T cell proliferation was specific to T cell activation via the TCR and not by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-ionomycin, which bypasses the proximal TCR signaling event. The results of microarray analysis suggest that LLO-induced T cell unresponsiveness is due to the induction of a calcium-nuclear factor of activated T cells-dependent transcriptional program that drives the expression of negative regulators of TCR signaling.Conclusion: These findings provide important insights into how bacterial toxins silence adaptive immune responses and thus enable prolonged survival of the pathogen in the host.
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| 6. |
- Gekara, Nelson O, et al.
(författare)
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Mast cells initiate early anti-Listeria host defences.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Cellular Microbiology. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1462-5814 .- 1462-5822. ; 10:1, s. 225-236
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (L. m.) is the aetiological agent of listeriosis. The early phase listeriosis is characterized by strong innate host responses that play a major role in bacterial clearance. This is emphasized by the fact that mice deficient in T and B cells have a remarkable ability to control infection. Mast cells, among the principal effectors of innate immunity, have largely been studied in the context of hyper-reactive conditions such as allergy and autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we evaluated the significance of mast cells during the early phase of listeriosis. Compared with controls, mice depleted of mast cells showed hundred-fold higher bacterial burden in spleen and liver and were significantly impaired in neutrophil mobilization. Although L. m. interacts with and triggers mast cell degranulation, bacteria were hardly found within such cells. Mainly neutrophils and macrophages phagozytosed L. m. Thus, mast cells control infection not via direct bacterial uptake, but by initiating neutrophils influx to the site of infection. We show that this is initiated by pre-synthesized TNF-alpha, rapidly secreted by mast cell upon activation by L. m. We also show that upon recruitment, neutrophils also become activated and additionally secrete TNF-alpha thus amplifying the anti-L. m. inflammatory response.
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| 7. |
- Gekara, Nelson O, et al.
(författare)
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Signals triggered by a bacterial pore-forming toxin contribute to toll-like receptor redundancy in gram-positive bacterial recognition.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0022-1899 .- 1537-6613. ; 199:1, s. 124-33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The results illustrate that signals triggered by LLO contribute to TLR2 redundancy in recognition of L. monocytogenes. Under normal conditions, multiple and, sometimes, redundant pathways cooperate to induce a rapid antimicrobial defense. When one signaling pathway-in this case, TLR2-is removed from the system, the other pathways are still capable of mounting a sufficient response to ensure survival of the host.
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| 8. |
- Gekara, Nelson O, et al.
(författare)
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The cholesterol-dependent cytolysin listeriolysin O aggregates rafts via oligomerization.
- 2005
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Ingår i: Cellular Microbiology. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1462-5814 .- 1462-5822. ; 7:9, s. 1345-1356
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The pore-forming toxin listeriolysin O (LLO) is the main virulence factor of Listeria monocytogenes. LLO is known to act as a pseudo cytokine/chemokine, which induces a broad spectrum of host responses that ultimately influences the outcome of listeriosis. In the present study we demonstrate that LLO is a potent aggregator of lipid rafts. LLO was found to aggregate the raft associated molecules GM1, the GPI-anchored proteins CD14 and CD16 as well as the tyrosine kinase Lyn. Abrogation of the cytolytic activity of LLO by cholesterol pretreatment was found not to interfere with LLO's ability to aggregate rafts or trigger tyrosine phosphorylation in cells. However, a monoclonal antibody that blocks the oligomerization of LLO was found to inhibit rafts' aggregation as well as the induction of tyrosine phosphorylation. This implies that rafts aggregation by LLO which is independent of cytolytic activity, is due to the oligomerization of its membrane bound toxin monomers. Thus, LLO most likely induces signalling through the coaggregation of rafts' associated receptors, kinases and adaptors.
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| 9. |
- Gekara, Nelson O, et al.
(författare)
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The multiple mechanisms of Ca2+ signalling by listeriolysin O, the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin of Listeria monocytogenes.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Cellular Microbiology. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1462-5814 .- 1462-5822. ; 9:8, s. 2008-2021
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) represent a large family of conserved pore-forming toxins produced by several Gram-positive bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus pyrogenes and Bacillus anthracis. These toxins trigger a broad range of cellular responses that greatly influence pathogenesis. Using mast cells, we demonstrate that listeriolysin O (LLO), a prototype of CDCs produced by L. monocytogenes, triggers cellular responses such as degranulation and cytokine synthesis in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Ca(2+) signalling by LLO is due to Ca(2+) influx from extracellular milieu and release of from intracellular stores. We show that LLO-induced release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores occurs via at least two mechanisms: (i) activation of intracellular Ca(2+) channels and (ii) a Ca(2+) channels independent mechanism. The former involves PLC-IP(3)R operated Ca(2+) channels activated via G-proteins and protein tyrosine kinases. For the latter, we propose a novel mechanism of intracellular Ca(2+) release involving injury of intracellular Ca(2+) stores such as the endoplasmic reticulum. In addition to Ca(2+) signalling, the discovery that LLO causes damage to an intracellular organelle provides a new perspective in our understanding of how CDCs affect target cells during infection by the respective bacterial pathogens.
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| 10. |
- Härtlova, Anetta, et al.
(författare)
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DNA Damage Primes the Type I Interferon System via the Cytosolic DNA Sensor STING to Promote Anti-Microbial Innate Immunity.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Immunity. - : Elsevier BV. - 1097-4180 .- 1074-7613. ; 42:2, s. 332-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dysfunction in Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a central component of the DNA repair machinery, results in Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), a cancer-prone disease with a variety of inflammatory manifestations. By analyzing AT patient samples and Atm(-/-) mice, we found that unrepaired DNA lesions induce type I interferons (IFNs), resulting in enhanced anti-viral and anti-bacterial responses in Atm(-/-) mice. Priming of the type I interferon system by DNA damage involved release of DNA into the cytoplasm where it activated the cytosolic DNA sensing STING-mediated pathway, which in turn enhanced responses to innate stimuli by activating the expression of Toll-like receptors, RIG-I-like receptors, cytoplasmic DNA sensors, and their downstream signaling partners. This study provides a potential explanation for the inflammatory phenotype of AT patients and establishes damaged DNA as a cell intrinsic danger signal that primes the innate immune system for a rapid and amplified response to microbial and environmental threats.
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