Esteban Chaves-Olarte

Brucella abortus Uses a Stealthy Strategy to Avoid Activation of the Innate Immune System during the Onset of Infection

Background To unravel the strategy by which Brucella abortus establishes chronic infections, we explored its early interaction with innate immunity. Methodology/Principal Findings Brucella did not induce proinflammatory responses as demonstrated by the absence of leukocyte recruitment, humoral or cellular blood changes in mice. Brucella hampered neutrophil (PMN) function and PMN depletion did not influence the course of infection. Brucella barely induced proinflammatory cytokines and consumed complement, and was strongly resistant to bactericidal peptides, PMN extracts and serum. Brucella LPS (BrLPS), NH-polysaccharides, cyclic glucans, outer membrane fragments or disrupted bacterial cells displayed low biological activity in mice and cells. The lack of proinflammatory responses was not due to conspicuous inhibitory mechanisms mediated by the invading Brucella or its products. When activated 24 h post-infection macrophages did not kill Brucella, indicating that the replication niche was not fusiogenic with lysosomes. Brucella intracellular replication did not interrupt the cell cycle or caused cytotoxicity in WT, TLR4 and TLR2 knockout cells. TNF-α-induction was TLR4- and TLR2-dependent for live but not for killed B. abortus. However, intracellular replication in TLR4, TLR2 and TLR4/2 knockout cells was not altered and the infection course and anti-Brucella immunity development upon BrLPS injection was unaffected in TLR4 mutant mice. Conclusion/Significance We propose that Brucella has developed a stealth strategy through PAMPs reduction, modification and hiding, ensuring by this manner low stimulatory activity and toxicity for cells. This strategy allows Brucella to reach its replication niche before activation of antimicrobial mechanisms by adaptive immunity. This model is consistent with clinical profiles observed in humans and natural hosts at the onset of infection and could be valid for those intracellular pathogens phylogenetically related to Brucella that also cause long lasting infections.

Toxins A and B from Clostridium difficile differ with respect to enzymatic potencies, cellular substrate specificities, and surface binding to cultured cells.

Clostridium difficile toxins A and B together are responsible for the symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis. Both toxins intoxicate cultured cells by the same mechanism but they differ in cytotoxic potency, toxin B being generally 1,000 times more potent than toxin A. Don and T84 cells were used to determine differences in the intoxication process exerted by both toxins. Three main differences were identified: (a) the specific binding of radiolabeled toxins to the cell surfaces correlated with the cytotoxic potency, (b) toxin B was found to have a 100-fold higher enzymatic activity than toxin A, and (c) toxin A was found to modify an additional substrate, Rap. The relative contribution of (a) and (b) to the difference in cytotoxic potency was determined by microinjection of the toxins. The differing enzymatic activities turned out to be the main determinant of the difference in cytotoxic potency, whereas the difference in binding contributes to a lesser degree. These findings are discussed in the context of the pathophysiological role of the toxins.

The cytolethal distending toxin from the chancroid bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi induces cell-cycle arrest in the G2 phase

The potent cytolethal distending toxin produced by Haemophilus ducreyi is a putative virulence factor in the pathogenesis of chancroid. We studied its action on eukaryotic cells, with the long-term goal of understanding the pathophysiology of the disease. Intoxication of cultured human epithelial-like cells, human keratinocytes, and hamster fibroblasts was irreversible, and appeared as a gradual distention of three- to fivefold the size of control cells. Organized actin assemblies appeared concomitantly with cell enlargement, promoted by a mechanism that probably does not involve small GTPases of the Rho protein family. Intoxicated cells did not proliferate. Similar to cells treated with other cytolethal distending toxins, these cells accumulated in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, demonstrating an increased level of the tyrosine phosphorylated (inactive) form of the cyclin-dependent kinase p34(cdc2). DNA synthesis was not affected until several hours after this increase, suggesting that the toxin acts directly on some kinase/phosphatase in the signaling network controlling the p34(cdc2) activity. We propose that this toxin has an important role both in the generation of chancroid ulcers and in their slow healing. The toxin may also be an interesting new tool for molecular studies of the eukaryotic cell- cycle machinery.

The Haemophilus ducreyi cytolethal distending toxin induces DNA double-strand breaks and promotes ATM-dependent activation of RhoA

Among bacterial protein toxins, the cytolethal distending toxins (CDTs) are unique in their ability to activate the DNA damage checkpoint responses, causing cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in intoxicated cells. We provide direct evidence that natural intoxication of cells with the Haemophilus ducreyi CDT (HdCDT) holotoxin induces DNA double‐strand breaks similarly to ionizing radiation. Upon DNA damage, epithelial cells and fibroblasts promote the formation of actin stress fibres via activation of the small GTPase RhoA. This phenomenon is not toxin specific, but is part of the ATM‐induced cellular responses to genotoxic stresses, including ionizing radiation. Activation of RhoA is associated with prolonged cell survival, as HdCDT‐treated epithelial cells expressing a dominant‐negative form of RhoA detach and consequently die faster than cells expressing a functional RhoA. Our data highlight several novel aspects of CDT biology: (i) we show that a member of the CDT family causes DNA double‐strand breaks in naturally intoxicated cells, acting as a true genotoxic agent; and (ii) we disclose the existence of a novel signalling pathway for intracellularly triggered activation of the RhoA GTPase via the ATM kinase in response to DNA damage, possibly required to prolong cell survival.

The Haemophilus ducreyi cytolethal distending toxin activates sensors of DNA damage and repair complexes in proliferating and non‐proliferating cells

Cytolethal distending toxins (CDTs) block proliferation of mammalian cells by activating DNA damage‐induced checkpoint responses. We demonstrate that the Haemophilus ducreyi CDT (HdCDT) induces phosphorylation of the histone H2AX as early as 1 h after intoxication and re‐localization of the DNA repair complex Mre11 in HeLa cells with kinetics similar to those observed upon ionizing radiation. Early phosphorylation of H2AX was dependent on a functional Ataxia Telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase. Microinjection of a His‐tagged HdCdtB subunit, homologous to the mammalian DNase I, was sufficient to induce re‐localization of the Mre11 complex 1 h post treatment. However, the enzymatic potency was much lower than that exerted by bovine DNase I, which caused marked chromatin changes at 106 times lower concentrations than HdCdtB. H2AX phosphorylation and Mre11 re‐localization were induced also in HdCDT‐treated, non‐proliferating dendritic cells (DCs) in a differentiation dependent manner, and resulted in cell death. The data highlight several novel aspects of CDTs biology. We demonstrate that the toxin activates DNA damage‐associated molecules in an ATM‐dependent manner, both in proliferating and non‐proliferating cells, acting as other DNA damaging agents. Induction of apoptotic death of immature DCs by HdCDT may represent a previously unknown mechanism of immune evasion by CDT‐producing microbes.

Cellular Internalization of Cytolethal Distending Toxin from Haemophilus ducreyi

ABSTRACT The chancroid bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi produces a toxin (HdCDT) which is a member of the recently discovered family of cytolethal distending toxins (CDTs). These protein toxins prevent the cyclin-dependent kinase cdc2 from being activated, thus blocking the transition of cells from the G2 phase into mitosis, with the consequent arrest of intoxicated cells in G2. It is not known whether these toxins act by signaling from the cell surface or intracellularly only. Here we report that HdCDT has to undergo at least internalization before being able to act. Cellular intoxication was inhibited (i) by removal of clathrin coats via K+depletion, (ii) by treatment with drugs that inhibit receptor clustering into coated pits, and (iii) in cells genetically manipulated to fail in clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Intoxication was also completely inhibited in cells treated with bafilomycin A1 or nocodazole and in cells incubated at 18°C, i.e., under conditions known to block the fusion of early endosomes with downstream compartments. Moreover, disruption of the Golgi complex by treatment with brefeldin A or ilimaquinone blocked intoxication. In conclusion, our data indicate that HdCDT enters cells via clathrin-coated pits and has to be transported via the Golgi complex in order to intoxicate cells. This is the first member of the family of CDTs for which cellular internalization and some details of the pathway have been demonstrated.

Intracellular Adaptation of Brucella abortus

Macrophages were infected with virulent Brucella abortus strain 2308 or attenuated strain 19. Intracellular bacteria were recovered at different times after infection and their proteomes compared. The virulent strain initially reduced most biosynthesis and altered its respiration; adaptations reversed later in infection. The attenuated strain was unable to match the magnitude of the virulent strains adjustments. The results provide insight into mechanisms utilized by Brucella to establish intracellular infections.

The lipopolysaccharide core of Brucella abortus acts as a shield against innate immunity recognition

Innate immunity recognizes bacterial molecules bearing pathogen-associated molecular patterns to launch inflammatory responses leading to the activation of adaptive immunity. However, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the gram-negative bacterium Brucella lacks a marked pathogen-associated molecular pattern, and it has been postulated that this delays the development of immunity, creating a gap that is critical for the bacterium to reach the intracellular replicative niche. We found that a B. abortus mutant in the wadC gene displayed a disrupted LPS core while keeping both the LPS O-polysaccharide and lipid A. In mice, the wadC mutant induced proinflammatory responses and was attenuated. In addition, it was sensitive to killing by non-immune serum and bactericidal peptides and did not multiply in dendritic cells being targeted to lysosomal compartments. In contrast to wild type B. abortus, the wadC mutant induced dendritic cell maturation and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. All these properties were reproduced by the wadC mutant purified LPS in a TLR4-dependent manner. Moreover, the core-mutated LPS displayed an increased binding to MD-2, the TLR4 co-receptor leading to subsequent increase in intracellular signaling. Here we show that Brucella escapes recognition in early stages of infection by expressing a shield against recognition by innate immunity in its LPS core and identify a novel virulence mechanism in intracellular pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. These results also encourage for an improvement in the generation of novel bacterial vaccines.

Neurobrucellosis in Stranded Dolphins, Costa Rica

Ten striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba, stranded along the Costa Rican Pacific coast, had meningoencephalitis and antibodies against Brucella spp. Brucella ceti was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid of 6 dolphins and 1 fetus. S. coeruleoalba constitutes a highly susceptible host and a potential reservoir for B. ceti transmission.

Brucella ceti and Brucellosis in Cetaceans

Since the first case of brucellosis detected in a dolphin aborted fetus, an increasing number of Brucella ceti isolates has been reported in members of the two suborders of cetaceans: Mysticeti and Odontoceti. Serological surveys have shown that cetacean brucellosis may be distributed worldwide in the oceans. Although all B. ceti isolates have been included within the same species, three different groups have been recognized according to their preferred host, bacteriological properties, and distinct genetic traits: B. ceti dolphin type, B. ceti porpoise type, and B. ceti human type. It seems that B. ceti porpoise type is more closely related to B. ceti human isolates and B. pinnipedialis group, while B. ceti dolphin type seems ancestral to them. Based on comparative phylogenetic analysis, it is feasible that the B. ceti ancestor radiated in a terrestrial artiodactyl host close to the Raoellidae family about 58 million years ago. The more likely mode of transmission of B. ceti seems to be through sexual intercourse, maternal feeding, aborted fetuses, placental tissues, vertical transmission from mother to the fetus or through fish or helminth reservoirs. The B. ceti dolphin and porpoise types seem to display variable virulence in land animal models and low infectivity for humans. However, brucellosis in some dolphins and porpoises has been demonstrated to be a severe chronic disease, displaying significant clinical and pathological signs related to abortions, male infertility, neurobrucellosis, cardiopathies, bone and skin lesions, strandings, and death.