Liliana Oliveira

Streptococcus agalactiae GAPDH Is a Virulence-Associated Immunomodulatory Protein

Certain extracellular proteins produced by several pathogenic microorganisms interfere with the host immune system facilitating microbial colonization and were thus designated virulence-associated immunomodulatory proteins. In this study, a protein with B lymphocyte stimulatory activity was isolated from culture supernatants of Streptococcus agalactiae strain NEM316. This protein, with an apparent molecular mass of 45 kDa, was identified as GAPDH by N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The gapC gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli for the production of a recombinant histidyl-tagged protein. The recombinant GAPDH (rGAPDH), purified in an enzymatically active form, induced in vitro an up-regulation of CD69 expression on B cells from normal and BCR transgenic mice. In addition, rGAPDH induced an increase in the numbers of total, but not of rGAPDH-specific, splenic Ig-secreting cells in C57BL/6 mice treated i.p. with this protein. These in vitro- and in vivo-elicited B cell responses suggest that the B cell stimulatory effect of rGAPDH is independent of BCR specificity. A S. agalactiae strain overexpressing GAPDH showed increased virulence as compared with the wild-type strain in C57BL/6 mice. This virulence was markedly reduced in IL-10-deficient and anti-rGAPDH antiserum-treated mice. These results suggest that IL-10 production, which was detected at higher concentrations in the serum of rGAPDH-treated mice, is important in determining the successfulness of the host colonization by S. agalactiae and they highlight the direct role of GAPDH in this process. Taken together, our data demonstrate that S. agalactiae GAPDH is a virulence-associated immunomodulatory protein.

Group B streptococcus GAPDH is released upon cell lysis, associates with bacterial surface, and induces apoptosis in murine macrophages.

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenases (GAPDH) are cytoplasmic glycolytic enzymes that, despite lacking identifiable secretion signals, have been detected at the surface of several prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms where they exhibit non-glycolytic functions including adhesion to host components. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a human commensal bacterium that has the capacity to cause life-threatening meningitis and septicemia in newborns. Electron microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis demonstrated the surface localization of GAPDH in GBS. By addressing the question of GAPDH export to the cell surface of GBS strain NEM316 and isogenic mutant derivatives of our collection, we found that impaired GAPDH presence in the surface and supernatant of GBS was associated with a lower level of bacterial lysis. We also found that following GBS lysis, GAPDH can associate to the surface of many living bacteria. Finally, we provide evidence for a novel function of the secreted GAPDH as an inducer of apoptosis of murine macrophages.

Role of Monocytes in the Up‐Regulation of the Early Activation Marker CD69 on B and T Murine Lymphocytes Induced by Microbial Mitogens

CD69 is an early marker of lymphoid cell activation. The authors report on an up‐regulation of CD69 in splenic B and T cells of C57Bl/6 mice after administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or microbial immunosuppressive/mitogenic (ISM) proteins produced by C. albicans (p43) and African Swine Fever Virus (p36). This up‐regulation of CD69 was observed 6 and 24 h after mitogenic treatments. The same pattern of increased CD69 expression was observed in the lymph nodes of mice treated with p43 or LPS, whereas p36 treatment failed to induce increased CD69 expression in this organ. Intracellular calcium mobilization was induced in splenic B and T lymphocytes after incubation of total spleen cells with LPS, p43 or p36. This increase was higher in B than in T cells. Increased calcium mobilization was also seen in lymph node B cells after incubation with p43 or p36 and in lymph node T cells after p43 stimulation. Up‐regulation of CD69 expression on B and T cells was also observed after in vitro stimulation of spleen cells with the three mitogens used. Similar results were obtained with culture supernatants of macrophage/monocyte (Mφ) cells activated with LPS (LPS/MφCS). Stimulation of Mφ cells with LPS or with the ISM proteins is demonstrated by the increased production of nitrites by these cells. The increased in vitro expression of CD69 was, however, not abolished by monoclonal antibodies to Mφ cytokines such as IL‐6, IL‐10 or TNFα. No increased expression of CD69 was found in vitro on purified B or T cells, even when mixed upon stimulation with p43, p36, LPS or with LPS/MφCS. However, an increase in the expression of CD69 was observed on B cells co‐cultured with Mφ cells after treatment with LPS or p36. All three mitogens failed to induce increased CD69 expression on cultured T cells mixed with Mφ cells.

TLR2-Induced IL-10 Production Impairs Neutrophil Recruitment to Infected Tissues during Neonatal Bacterial Sepsis

Sepsis is the third most common cause of neonatal death, with Group B Streptococcus (GBS) being the leading bacterial agent. The pathogenesis of neonatal septicemia is still unsolved. We described previously that host susceptibility to GBS infection is due to early IL-10 production. In this study, we investigated whether triggering TLR2 to produce IL-10 is a risk factor for neonatal bacterial sepsis. We observed that, in contrast to wild-type (WT) pups, neonatal TLR2-deficient mice were resistant to GBS-induced sepsis. Moreover, if IL-10 signaling were blocked in WT mice, they also were resistant to sepsis. This increased survival rate was due to an efficient recruitment of neutrophils to infected tissues that leads to bacterial clearance, thus preventing the development of sepsis. To confirm that IL-10 produced through TLR2 activation prevents neutrophil recruitment, WT pups were treated with the TLR2 agonist Pam3CSK4 prior to nebulization with the neutrophil chemotactic agent LTB4. Neutrophil recruitment into the neonatal lungs was inhibited in pups treated with Pam3CSK4. However, the migration was restored in Pam3CSK4-treated pups when IL-10 signaling was blocked (either by anti–IL-10R mAb treatment or by using IL-10–deficient mice). Our findings highlight that TLR2-induced IL-10 production is a key event in neonatal susceptibility to bacterial sepsis.

Tuning T Cell Activation: The Function of CD6 At the Immunological Synapse and in T Cell Responses

CD6 immunotherapy to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis has reached the clinical trial stage with apparent success, and targeting CD6 with mAbs is being used in several animal models of autoimmunity and neuroinflammation with promising indications. However, the mode of action of the therapeutic CD6 mAbs is far from being understood, reflecting the uncertainties and controversy surrounding the mechanistic and biological functions of CD6. Initially regarded as a co-stimulatory receptor of T lymphocytes, recent studies suggest that CD6 can instead modulate early as well as late T cell responses. Also, opposing the contribution of CD6 adhesiveness in the establishment and stabilization of immunological synapses, the actual triggering of CD6 might induce anti-proliferative signals to the T lymphocyte. CD6 has an unusually long cytoplasmic tail and its gene undergoes peculiar patterns of activation-dependent alternative splicing that can on one hand determine whether or not the CD6 protein binds to its ligand, and on the other include or exclude intracellular sequences that may transduce positive or negative signaling. In this review we discuss the multiple aspects that determine the nature of the signals transmitted via CD6 and the context that may define a dual role for this important T cell surface molecule.

The Scavenger Receptor SSc5D Physically Interacts with Bacteria through the SRCR-Containing N-Terminal Domain

The scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) family comprises a group of membrane-attached or secreted proteins that contain one or more modules/domains structurally similar to the membrane distal domain of type I macrophage scavenger receptor. Although no all-inclusive biological function has been ascribed to the SRCR family, some of these receptors have been shown to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) of bacteria, fungi, or other microbes. SSc5D is a recently described soluble SRCR receptor produced by monocytes/macrophages and T lymphocytes, consisting of an N-terminal portion, which contains five SRCR modules, and a large C-terminal mucin-like domain. Toward establishing a global common role for SRCR domains, we interrogated whether the set of five SRCR domains of SSc5D displayed pattern recognition receptor (PRR) properties. For that purpose, we have expressed in a mammalian expression system the N-terminal SRCR-containing moiety of SSc5D (N-SSc5D), thus excluding the mucin-like domain likely by nature to bind microorganisms, and tested the capacity of the SRCR functional groups to physically interact with bacteria. Using conventional protein–bacteria binding assays, we showed that N-SSc5D had a superior capacity to bind to Escherichia coli strains RS218 and IHE3034 compared with that of the extracellular domains of the SRCR proteins CD5 and CD6 (sCD5 and sCD6, respectively), and similar E. coli-binding properties as Spα, a proven PRR of the SRCR family. We have further designed a more sensitive, real-time, and label-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based assay and examined the capacity of N-SSc5D, Spα, sCD5, and sCD6 to bind to different bacteria. We demonstrated that N-SSc5D compares with Spα in the capacity to bind to E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes, and further that it can distinguish between pathogenic E. coli RS218 and IHE3034 strains and the non-pathogenic laboratory E. coli strain BL21(DE3). Our work thus advocates the utility of SPR-based assays as sensitive tools for the rapid screening of interactions between immune-related receptors and PAMP-bearing microbes. The analysis of our results suggests that SRCR domains of different members of the family have a differential capacity to interact with bacteria, and further that the same receptor can discriminate between different bacteria strains and species.

A Safe and Stable Neonatal Vaccine Targeting GAPDH Confers Protection against Group B Streptococcus Infections in Adult Susceptible Mice

Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a commensal organism, can turn into a life-threatening pathogen in neonates and elderly, or in adults with severe underlying diseases such as diabetes. We developed a vaccine targeting the GBS glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), a glycolytic enzyme detected at the bacterial surface, which was proven to be effective in a neonatal mouse model of infection. Since this bacterium has emerged as an important pathogen in non-pregnant adults, here we investigated whether this vaccine also confers protection in an adult susceptible and in a diabetic mouse model of infection. For immunoprotection studies, sham or immunized adult mice were infected with GBS serotype Ia and V strains, the two most prevalent serotypes isolated in adults. Sham and vaccinated mice were also rendered diabetic and infected with a serotype V GBS strain. For toxicological (pre-clinical) studies, adult mice were vaccinated three times, with three concentrations of recombinant GAPDH adjuvanted with Allydrogel, and the toxicity parameters were evaluated twenty-four hours after the last immunization. For the stability tests, the vaccine formulations were maintained at 4°C for 6 and 12 months prior immunization. The results showed that all tested doses of the vaccine, including the stability study formulations, were immunogenic and that the vaccine was innocuous. The organs (brain, blood, heart, and liver) of vaccinated susceptible or diabetic adult mice were significantly less colonized compared to those of control mice. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the GAPDH-based vaccine is safe and stable and protects susceptible and diabetic adult mice against GBS infections. It is therefore a promising candidate as a global vaccine to prevent GBS-induced neonatal and adult diseases.

Evidence for the Sialylation of PilA, the PI-2a Pilus-Associated Adhesin of Streptococcus agalactiae Strain NEM316.

Streptococcus agalactiae (or Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a commensal bacterium present in the intestinal and urinary tracts of approximately 30% of humans. We and others previously showed that the PI-2a pilus polymers, made of the backbone pilin PilB, the tip adhesin PilA and the cell wall anchor protein PilC, promote adhesion to host epithelia and biofilm formation. Affinity-purified PI-2a pili from GBS strain NEM316 were recognized by N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuNAc, also known as sialic acid) specific lectins such as Elderberry Bark Lectin (EBL) suggesting that pili are sialylated. Glycan profiling with twenty different lectins combined with monosaccharide composition by HPLC suggested that affinity-purified PI-2a pili are modified by N-glycosylation and decorated with sialic acid attached to terminal galactose. Analysis of various relevant mutants in the PI-2a pilus operon by flow-cytometry and electron microscopy analyses pointed to PilA as the pilus subunit modified by glycosylation. Double labeling using PilB antibody and EBL lectin, which specifically recognizes N-acetylneuraminic acid attached to galactose in α-2, 6, revealed a characteristic binding of EBL at the tip of the pilus structures, highly reminiscent of PilA localization. Expression of a secreted form of PilA using an inducible promoter showed that this recombinant PilA binds specifically to EBL lectin when produced in the native GBS context. In silico search for potentially glycosylated asparagine residues in PilA sequence pointed to N427 and N597, which appear conserved and exposed in the close homolog RrgA from S. pneumoniae, as likely candidates. Conversion of these two asparagyl residues to glutamyl resulted in a higher instability of PilA. Our results provide the first evidence that the tip PilA adhesin can be glycosylated, and suggest that this modification is critical for PilA stability and may potentially influence interactions with the host.

CD5 expression is regulated during human T-cell activation by alternative polyadenylation, PTBP1, and miR-204.

T lymphocytes stimulated through their antigen receptor (TCR) preferentially express mRNA isoforms with shorter 3´ untranslated regions (3´‐UTRs) derived from alternative pre‐mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation (APA). However, the physiological relevance of APA programs remains poorly understood. CD5 is a T‐cell surface glycoprotein that negatively regulates TCR signaling from the onset of T‐cell activation. CD5 plays a pivotal role in mediating outcomes of cell survival or apoptosis, and may prevent both autoimmunity and cancer. In human primary T lymphocytes and Jurkat cells we found three distinct mRNA isoforms encoding CD5, each derived from distinct poly(A) signals (PASs). Upon T‐cell activation, there is an overall increase in CD5 mRNAs with a specific increase in the relative expression of the shorter isoforms. 3´‐UTRs derived from these shorter isoforms confer higher reporter expression in activated T cells relative to the longer isoform. We further show that polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB/PTBP1) directly binds to the proximal PAS and PTB siRNA depletion causes a decrease in mRNA derived from this PAS, suggesting an effect on stability or poly(A) site selection to circumvent targeting of the longer CD5 mRNA isoform by miR‐204. These mechanisms fine‐tune CD5 expression levels and thus ultimately T‐cell responses.