The bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes and the interferon family: type I, type II and type III interferons

Limited Colonization Undermined by Inadequate Early Immune Responses Defines the Dynamics of Decidual Listeriosis

The bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes causes foodborne systemic disease in pregnant women, which can lead to preterm labor, stillbirth, or severe neonatal disease. Colonization of the maternal decidua appears to be an initial step in the maternal component of the disease as well as bacterial transmission to the placenta and fetus. Host-pathogen interactions in the decidua during this early stage of infection remain poorly understood. Here, we assessed the dynamics of L. monocytogenes infection in primary human decidual organ cultures and in the murine decidua in vivo A high inoculum was necessary to infect both human and mouse deciduas, and the data support the existence of a barrier to initial colonization of the murine decidua. If successful, however, colonization in both species was followed by significant bacterial expansion associated with an inability of the decidua to mount appropriate innate cellular immune responses. The innate immune deficits included the failure of bacterial foci to attract macrophages and NK cells, cell types known to be important for early defenses against L. monocytogenes in the spleen, as well as a decrease in the tissue density of inflammatory Ly6C^hi monocytes in vivo These results suggest that the infectivity of the decidua is not the result of an enhanced recruitment of L. monocytogenes to the gestational uterus but rather is due to compromised local innate cellular immune responses.

Role of Interferons in the Development of Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Therapy for Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). About one-third of the world's population is latently infected with TB and 5–15% of them will develop active TB in their lifetime. It is estimated that each case of active TB may cause 10–20 new infections. Host immune response to Mtb is influenced by interferon- (IFN-) signaling pathways, particularly by type I and type II interferons (IFNs). The latter that consists of IFN-γ has been associated with the promotion of Th1 immune response which is associated with protection against TB. Although this aspect remains controversial at present due to the lack of established correlates of protection, currently, there are different prophylactic, diagnostic, and immunotherapeutic approaches in which IFNs play an important role. This review summarizes the main aspects related with the biology of IFNs, mainly associated with TB, as well as presents the main applications of these cytokines related to prophylaxis, diagnosis, and immunotherapy of TB.

Antivirals against animal viruses

Antivirals are compounds used since the 1960s that can interfere with viral development. Some of these antivirals can be isolated from a variety of sources, such as animals, plants, bacteria or fungi, while others must be obtained by chemical synthesis, either designed or random. Antivirals display a variety of mechanisms of action, and while some of them enhance the animal immune system, others block a specific enzyme or a particular step in the viral replication cycle. As viruses are mandatory intracellular parasites that use the host's cellular machinery to survive and multiply, it is essential that antivirals do not harm the host. In addition, viruses are continually developing new antiviral resistant strains, due to their high mutation rate, which makes it mandatory to continually search for, or develop, new antiviral compounds. This review describes natural and synthetic antivirals in chronological order, with an emphasis on natural compounds, even when their mechanisms of action are not completely understood, that could serve as the basis for future development of novel and/or complementary antiviral treatments.

Down regulation of macrophage IFNGR1 exacerbates systemic L. monocytogenes infection

Interferons (IFNs) target macrophages to regulate inflammation and resistance to microbial infections. The type II IFN (IFNγ) acts on a cell surface receptor (IFNGR) to promote gene expression that enhance macrophage inflammatory and anti-microbial activity. Type I IFNs can dampen macrophage responsiveness to IFNγ and are associated with increased susceptibility to numerous bacterial infections. The precise mechanisms responsible for these effects remain unclear. Type I IFNs silence macrophage ifngr1 transcription and thus reduce cell surface expression of IFNGR1. To test how these events might impact macrophage activation and host resistance during bacterial infection, we developed transgenic mice that express a functional FLAG-tagged IFNGR1 (fGR1) driven by a macrophage-specific promoter. Macrophages from fGR1 mice expressed physiologic levels of cell surface IFNGR1 at steady state and responded equivalently to WT C57Bl/6 macrophages when treated with IFNγ alone. However, fGR1 macrophages retained cell surface IFNGR1 and showed enhanced responsiveness to IFNγ in the presence of type I IFNs. When fGR1 mice were infected with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes their resistance was significantly increased, despite normal type I and II IFN production. Enhanced resistance was dependent on IFNγ and associated with increased macrophage activation and antimicrobial function. These results argue that down regulation of myeloid cell IFNGR1 is an important mechanism by which type I IFNs suppress inflammatory and anti-bacterial functions of macrophages.

Cell-Based Screen Identifies Human Interferon-Stimulated Regulators of Listeria monocytogenes Infection

The type I interferon (IFN) activated transcriptional response is a critical antiviral defense mechanism, yet its role in bacterial pathogenesis remains less well characterized. Using an intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) as a model bacterial pathogen, we sought to identify the roles of individual interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in context of bacterial infection. Previously, IFN has been implicated in both restricting and promoting Lm growth and immune stimulatory functions in vivo. Here we adapted a gain-of-function flow cytometry based approach to screen a library of more than 350 human ISGs for inhibitors and enhancers of Lm infection. We identify 6 genes, including UNC93B1, MYD88, AQP9, and TRIM14 that potently inhibit Lm infection. These inhibitors act through both transcription-mediated (MYD88) and non-transcriptional mechanisms (TRIM14). Further, we identify and characterize the human high affinity immunoglobulin receptor FcγRIa as an enhancer of Lm internalization. Our results reveal that FcγRIa promotes Lm uptake in the absence of known host Lm internalization receptors (E-cadherin and c-Met) as well as bacterial surface internalins (InlA and InlB). Additionally, FcγRIa-mediated uptake occurs independently of Lm opsonization or canonical FcγRIa signaling. Finally, we established the contribution of FcγRIa to Lm infection in phagocytic cells, thus potentially linking the IFN response to a novel bacterial uptake pathway. Together, these studies provide an experimental and conceptual basis for deciphering the role of IFN in bacterial defense and virulence at single-gene resolution.

While the type I interferon response is known to be activated by both viruses and bacteria, it has mostly been characterized in terms of its antiviral properties. Listeria monocytogenes, an opportunistic Gram-positive bacterial pathogen with up to 50% mortality rate and a variety of clinical manifestations, is a potent activator of interferon secretion. In mouse models, interferon has been previously implicated in both restricting and promoting L. monocytogenes infection. Here, we utilized a high-throughput flow-cytometry based approach to screen a library of human interferon I stimulated genes (ISGs) and identified regulators of L. monocytogenes infection. These include inhibitors that act through both transcriptional (MYD88) and transcription-independent (TRIM14) mechanisms. Strikingly, expression of the human high affinity immunoglobulin receptor FcγRIa (CD64) was found to potently enhance L. monocytogenes infection. Both biochemical and cellular studies indicate that FcγRIa increases primary invasion of L. monocytogenes through a previously uncharacterized IgG-independent internalization mechanism. Together, these studies provide an important insight into the complex role of interferon response in bacterial virulence and host defense.

Respiratory viral infections and host responses; insights from genomics

Respiratory viral infections are a leading cause of disease and mortality. The severity of these illnesses can vary markedly from mild or asymptomatic upper airway infections to severe wheezing, bronchiolitis or pneumonia. In this article, we review the viral sensing pathways and organizing principles that govern the innate immune response to infection. Then, we reconstruct the molecular networks that differentiate symptomatic from asymptomatic respiratory viral infections, and identify the underlying molecular drivers of these networks. Finally, we discuss unique aspects of the biology and pathogenesis of infections with respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus and influenza, drawing on insights from genomics.

Cell Intrinsic Factors Modulate the Effects of IFNγ on the Development of Chlamydia trachomatis

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that cannot synthesize several amino acids, including tryptophan. Rather, C. trachomatis acquires these essential metabolites from its human host cell. Chlamydial dependence on host-provided tryptophan underlies a major host defense mechanism against the bacterium; namely, the induction of the host tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme, indoleamine 2,3- dioxygenase (IDO1) by interferon gamma (IFNγ), which leads to eradication of C. trachomatis by tryptophan starvation. For this reason, IFNγ is proposed to be the major host protective cytokine against genital C. trachomatis infections. The protective effect of IFNγ against C. trachomatis can be recapitulated in vitro using epithelial cell-lines such as the cervical carcinoma derived cell-line Hela, the Hela subclone HEp-2, and the cervical carcinoma derived cell-line ME180. Addition of IFNγ to these cells infected with C. trachomatis results in a strong bactericidal or bacteriostatic effect dependent on the concentration of IFNγ administered. Unlike Hela, HEp-2, and ME180, there are other human epithelial, or epithelial-like cell-lines where administration of IFNγ does not affect chlamydial replication, although they express the IFNγ receptor (IFNGR). In this report, we have characterized the mechanisms that underlie this dichotomy using the cell-lines C33A and 293. Akin to Hela, C33A is derived from a human cervical carcinoma, while 293 cells were produced by transfection of adenovirus type 5 DNA into embryonic kidney cells. We demonstrate that although IFNGR is expressed at high levels in C33A cells, its ligation by IFNγ does not result in STAT1 phosphorylation, an essential step for activation of the IDO1 promoter. Our results indicate that although the IFNγ-dependent signaling cascade is intact in 293 cells; the IDO1 promoter is not activated in these cells because it is epigenetically silenced, most likely by DNA methylation. Because polymorphisms in IFNγ, IFNGR, and the IDO1 promoter are known to affect other human infections or diseased states, our results indicate that the effect of allelic differences in these genes and the pathways they activate should be evaluated for their effect on C. trachomatis pathology.

Patho-epigenetics of Infectious Diseases Caused by Intracellular Bacteria

In multicellular eukaryotes including plants, animals and humans, epigenetic reprogramming may play a role in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of diseases. Recent studies revealed that in addition to viruses, pathogenic bacteria are also capable to dysregulate the epigenetic machinery of their target cells. In this chapter we focus on epigenetic alterations induced by bacteria infecting humans. Most of them are obligate or facultative intracellular bacteria that produce either bacterial toxins and surface proteins targeting the host cell membrane, or synthesise effector proteins entering the host cell nucleus. These bacterial products typically elicit histone modifications, i.e. alter the "histone code". Bacterial pathogens are capable to induce alterations of host cell DNA methylation patterns, too. Such changes in the host cell epigenotype and gene expression pattern may hinder the antibacterial immune response and create favourable conditions for bacterial colonization, growth, or spread. Epigenetic dysregulation mediated by bacterial products may also facilitate the production of inflammatory cytokines and other inflammatory mediators affecting the epigenotype of their target cells. Such indirect epigenetic changes as well as direct interference with the epigenetic machinery of the host cells may contribute to the initiation and progression of malignant tumors associated with distinct bacterial infections.

Characterization and Inductive Expression Analysis of Interferon Gamma-Related Gene in the Indian Major Carp, Rohu (Labeo rohita)

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is one of the key cytokines that plays a major role against viral and intracellular bacterial infection. In addition to the IFN-γ gene, teleost fish possess a second copy known as IFN-γ-related (IFN-γrel) gene. This report describes structural and functional properties of IFN-γrel gene in the Indian major carp, rohu (Labeo rohita), a commercially important freshwater fish species in the Indian subcontinent. The rohu IFN-γrel gene consisted of four exons with three intervening introns and phylogenetically closely related to grass carp. The full-length IFN-γrel cDNA comprised 927 bp nucleotides with a single open reading frame of 504 bp, encoding 167 amino acids (aa) polypeptide with a signal peptide of 24 aa. The mature rohu IFN-γrel protein was 143 aa with a predicted molecular weight of 16.85 kDa. Basal expression analysis of IFN-γrel showed its wide range of expression in all examined tissues: The highest was in the skin and the lowest was in the liver. In response to LPS, poly I:C, iE-DAP, muramyl dipeptide stimulations, and bacterial infections, IFN-γrel gene expression was significantly (p<0.05) induced in treated fish tissues as compared with their control. The IFN-γrel was expressed as recombinant protein (rIFN-γrel) and confirmed through western blot. Stimulation of peripheral blood leukocytes with rIFN-γrel protein resulted in the activation of IFN-γ receptor and marked induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression. These results together may suggest the important role of IFN-γrel as an antimicrobial cytokine in fish.

The human P-glycoprotein transporter enhances the type I interferon response to Listeria monocytogenes infection

Human multidrug efflux transporters are known for their ability to extrude antibiotics and toxic compounds out of cells, yet accumulating data indicate they have additional functions in diverse physiological processes not related to drug efflux. Here, we show that the human multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) (also named MDR1 and ABCB1) is transcriptionally induced in the monocytic cell line THP-1 upon infection with the human intracellular bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Notably, we found that P-gp is important for full activation of the type I interferon response elicited against L. monocytogenes bacteria. Both inhibition of P-gp function by verapamil and inhibition of its transcription using mRNA silencing led to a reduction in the magnitude of the type I response in infected cells. This function of P-gp was specific to type I interferon cytokines elicited against cytosolic replicating bacteria and was not observed in response to cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP), a molecule that was shown to be secreted by L. monocytogenes during infection and to trigger type I interferons. Moreover, P-gp was not involved in activation of other proinflammatory cytokines, such as those triggered by vacuolar-restricted L. monocytogenes or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Taken together, these findings demonstrate a role for P-gp in proper development of an innate immune response against intracellular pathogens, highlighting the complexity in employing therapeutic strategies that involve inhibition of multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pumps.

MicroRNAs in the interaction between host and bacterial pathogens

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with a central role in the post-transcriptional control of gene expression, that have been implicated in a wide-range of biological processes. Regulation of miRNA expression is increasingly recognized as a crucial part of the host response to infection by bacterial pathogens, as well as a novel molecular strategy exploited by bacteria to manipulate host cell pathways. Here, we review the current knowledge of bacterial pathogens that modulate host miRNA expression, focusing on mammalian host cells, and the implications of miRNA regulation on the outcome of infection. The emerging role of commensal bacteria, as part of the gut microbiota, on host miRNA expression in the presence or absence of bacterial pathogens is also discussed.

A trip in the "New Microbiology" with the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen causing an opportunistic disease called listeriosis. This bacterium invades and replicates in most cell types, due to its multiple strategies to exploit host molecular mechanisms. Research aiming at unravelling Listeria invasion and intracellular lifestyle has led to a number of key discoveries in infection biology, cell biology and also microbiology. In this review, we report on our most recent advances in understanding the intimate crosstalk between the bacterium and its host, resulting from in-depth studies performed over the past five years. We specifically highlight new concepts in RNA-based regulation in bacteria and discuss important findings in cell biology, including a new role for clathrin and an atypical mitochondrial fragmentation mechanism. We also illustrate the notion that bacterial infection regulates host gene expression at the chromatin level, contributing to an emerging field called patho-epigenetics. This review corresponds to the lecture given by one of us (P.C.) on the occasion of the 2014 FEBS|EMBO Woman in Science Award.