Epitope mapping of monoclonal antibodies against Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin

Bordetella filamentous hemagglutinin and adenylate cyclase toxin interactions on the bacterial surface are consistent with FhaB-mediated delivery of ACT to phagocytic cells

Bordetella species that cause respiratory infections in mammals include B. pertussis, which causes human whooping cough, and B. bronchiseptica, which infects nearly all mammals. Both bacterial species produce filamentous hemagglutinin (FhaB) and adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT), prominent surface-associated and secreted virulence factors that contribute to persistence in the lower respiratory tract by inhibiting clearance by phagocytic cells. FhaB and ACT proteins interact with themselves, each other, and host cells. Using immunoblot analyses, we showed that ACT binds to FhaB on the bacterial surface before it can be detected in culture supernatants. We determined that SphB1, a surface protease identified based on its requirement for FhaB cleavage, is also required for ACT cleavage, and we determined that the presence of ACT blocks SphB1-dependent and -independent cleavage of FhaB, but the presence of FhaB does not affect SphB1-dependent cleavage of ACT. The primary SphB1-dependent cleavage site on ACT is proximal to ACT's active site, in a region that is critical for ACT activity. We also determined that FhaB-bound ACT on the bacterial surface can intoxicate host cells producing CR3, the receptor for ACT. In addition to increasing our understanding of FhaB, ACT, and FhaB-ACT interactions on the Bordetella surface, our data are consistent with a model in which FhaB functions as a novel toxin delivery system by binding to ACT and allowing its release upon binding of ACT to its receptor, CR3, on phagocytic cells.IMPORTANCEBacteria need to control the variety, abundance, and conformation of proteins on their surface to survive. Members of the Gram-negative bacterial genus Bordetella include B. pertussis, which causes whooping cough in humans, and B. bronchiseptica, which causes respiratory infections in a broad range of mammals. These species produce two prominent virulence factors, the two-partner secretion (TPS) effector FhaB and adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT), that interact with themselves, each other, and host cells. Here, we determined that ACT binds FhaB on the bacterial surface before being detected in culture supernatants and that ACT bound to FhaB can be delivered to eukaryotic cells. Our data are consistent with a model in which FhaB delivers ACT specifically to phagocytic cells. This is the first report of a TPS system facilitating the delivery of a separate polypeptide toxin to target cells and expands our understanding of how TPS systems contribute to bacterial pathogenesis.

Blockade of the Adenylate Cyclase Toxin Synergizes with Opsonizing Antibodies to Protect Mice against Bordetella pertussis

Bordetella produces an array of virulence factors, including the adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT), which is essential, immunogenic in humans, and highly conserved. Despite mediating immune-evasive functions as a leukotoxin, ACT’s potential role as a protective antigen is unclear. To better understand the contributions of humoral anti-ACT immunity, we evaluated protection against Bordetella pertussis by antibodies binding structurally defined ACT epitopes in a mouse pneumonia model. An ACT-neutralizing antibody, but not a nonneutralizing antibody or an isotype control, significantly increased mouse survival after lethal challenge with B. pertussis. When modified to impair Fc effector functions, the neutralizing antibody retained protective capabilities, indicating that protection was mediated by the blockade of the interactions of ACT with its α_Mβ₂ integrin receptor. After infection with a lower bacterial dose, ACT neutralization synergistically reduced lung bacterial colonization levels when combined with an opsonic antibody binding the surface antigen pertactin. Notably, protection was significantly enhanced when antibodies were administered intranasally as opposed to systemically, indicating that local immune responses are key to antibody-mediated protection against ACT and pertactin. These data reconcile previous conflicting reports to indicate that neutralizing anti-ACT antibodies support the phagocytosis of opsonized B. pertussis and thereby contribute to pertussis protection in vivo.

The Fim and FhaB adhesins play a crucial role in nasal cavity infection and Bordetella pertussis transmission in a novel mouse catarrhal infection model

Pulmonary infections caused by Bordetella pertussis used to be the prime cause of infant mortality in the pre-vaccine era and mouse models of pertussis pneumonia served in characterization of B. pertussis virulence mechanisms. However, the biologically most relevant catarrhal disease stage and B. pertussis transmission has not been adequately reproduced in adult mice due to limited proliferation of the human-adapted pathogen on murine nasopharyngeal mucosa. We used immunodeficient C57BL/6J MyD88 KO mice to achieve B. pertussis proliferation to human-like high counts of 10⁸ viable bacteria per nasal cavity to elicit rhinosinusitis accompanied by robust shedding and transmission of B. pertussis bacteria to adult co-housed MyD88 KO mice. Experiments with a comprehensive set of B. pertussis mutants revealed that pertussis toxin, adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin, the T3SS effector BteA/BopC and several other known virulence factors were dispensable for nasal cavity infection and B. pertussis transmission in the immunocompromised MyD88 KO mice. In contrast, mutants lacking the filamentous hemagglutinin (FhaB) or fimbriae (Fim) adhesins infected the nasal cavity poorly, shed at low levels and failed to productively infect co-housed MyD88 KO or C57BL/6J mice. FhaB and fimbriae thus appear to play a critical role in B. pertussis transmission. The here-described novel murine model of B. pertussis-induced nasal catarrh opens the way to genetic dissection of host mechanisms involved in B. pertussis shedding and to validation of key bacterial transmission factors that ought to be targeted by future pertussis vaccines.

Pertussis is a strictly human respiratory infectious disease that can be fatal to young children and elderly. The currently used mouse models of intracerebral or pulmonary B. pertussis infection served remarkably well in identification of B. pertussis virulence factors and development of efficacious pertussis vaccines. However, B. pertussis transmission could not be reproduced in adult mice due to limited proliferation of the human pathogen in the upper airways of mice. Therefore, we inoculated nasal cavities of immunodeficient MyD88 knock-out mice to achieve a human-like high level of nasal mucosa infection. This allowed triggering of rhinitis and catarrhal shedding of bacteria from mouse nasal cavity and efficient transmission of the infection onto co-housed adult animals. Testing a set of bacterial mutants, we identified two bacterial adhesins as key transmission factors. Combined with the power of mouse and bacterial genetics, this newly established mouse model of the catarrhal phase of the whooping cough disease will enable deciphering of mechanisms that underlie B. pertussis transmission to new hosts.

Selective Enhancement of the Cell-Permeabilizing Activity of Adenylate Cyclase Toxin Does Not Increase Virulence of Bordetella pertussis

The whooping cough agent, Bordetella pertussis, secretes an adenylate cyclase toxin–hemolysin (CyaA, ACT, or AC-Hly) that catalyzes the conversion of intracellular ATP to cAMP and through its signaling annihilates the bactericidal activities of host sentinel phagocytes. In parallel, CyaA permeabilizes host cells by the formation of cation-selective membrane pores that account for the hemolytic activity of CyaA. The pore-forming activity contributes to the overall cytotoxic effect of CyaA in vitro, and it has previously been proposed to synergize with the cAMP-elevating activity in conferring full virulence on B. pertussis in the mouse model of pneumonic infection. CyaA primarily targets myeloid phagocytes through binding of their complement receptor 3 (CR3, integrin α_Mβ₂, or CD11b/CD18). However, with a reduced efficacy, the toxin can promiscuously penetrate and permeabilize the cell membrane of a variety of non-myeloid cells that lack CR3 on the cell surface, including airway epithelial cells or erythrocytes, and detectably intoxicates them by cAMP. Here, we used CyaA variants with strongly and selectively enhanced or reduced pore-forming activity that, at the same time, exhibited a full capacity to elevate cAMP concentrations in both CR3-expressing and CR3-non-expressing target cells. Using B. pertussis mutants secreting such CyaA variants, we show that a selective enhancement of the cell-permeabilizing activity of CyaA does not increase the overall virulence and lethality of pneumonic B. pertussis infection of mice any further. In turn, a reduction of the cell-permeabilizing activity of CyaA did not reduce B. pertussis virulence any importantly. These results suggest that the phagocyte-paralyzing cAMP-elevating capacity of CyaA prevails over the cell-permeabilizing activity of CyaA that appears to play an auxiliary role in the biological activity of the CyaA toxin in the course of B. pertussis infections in vivo.

Different roles of conserved tyrosine residues of the acylated domains in folding and activity of RTX toxins

Pore-forming repeats in toxins (RTX) are key virulence factors of many Gram-negative pathogens. We have recently shown that the aromatic side chain of the conserved tyrosine residue 940 within the acylated segment of the RTX adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (CyaA, ACT or AC-Hly) plays a key role in target cell membrane interaction of the toxin. Therefore, we used a truncated CyaA-derived RTX719 construct to analyze the impact of Y940 substitutions on functional folding of the acylated segment of CyaA. Size exclusion chromatography combined with CD spectroscopy revealed that replacement of the aromatic side chain of Y940 by the side chains of alanine or proline residues disrupted the calcium-dependent folding of RTX719 and led to self-aggregation of the otherwise soluble and monomeric protein. Intriguingly, corresponding alanine substitutions of the conserved Y642, Y643 and Y639 residues in the homologous RtxA, HlyA and ApxIA hemolysins from Kingella kingae, Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, affected the membrane insertion, pore-forming (hemolytic) and cytotoxic capacities of these toxins only marginally. Activities of these toxins were impaired only upon replacement of the conserved tyrosines  by proline residues. It appears, hence, that the critical role of the aromatic side chain of the Y940 residue is highly specific for the functional folding of the acylated domain of CyaA and determines its capacity to penetrate target cell membrane.

Bordetella Adenylate Cyclase Toxin Elicits Airway Mucin Secretion through Activation of the cAMP Response Element Binding Protein

The mucus layer protects airway epithelia from damage by noxious agents. Intriguingly, Bordetella pertussis bacteria provoke massive mucus production by nasopharyngeal epithelia during the initial coryza-like catarrhal stage of human pertussis and the pathogen transmits in mucus-containing aerosol droplets expelled by sneezing and post-nasal drip-triggered cough. We investigated the role of the cAMP-elevating adenylate cyclase (CyaA) and pertussis (PT) toxins in the upregulation of mucin production in B. pertussis-infected airway epithelia. Using human pseudostratified airway epithelial cell layers cultured at air–liquid interface (ALI), we show that purified CyaA and PT toxins (100 ng/mL) can trigger production of the major airway mucins Muc5AC and Muc5B. Upregulation of mucin secretion involved activation of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and was blocked by the 666-15-Calbiochem inhibitor of CREB-mediated gene transcription. Intriguingly, a B. pertussis mutant strain secreting only active PT and producing the enzymatically inactive CyaA-AC^– toxoid failed to trigger any important mucus production in infected epithelial cell layers in vitro or in vivo in the tracheal epithelia of intranasally infected mice. In contrast, the PT^– toxoid-producing B. pertussis mutant secreting the active CyaA toxin elicited a comparable mucin production as infection of epithelial cell layers or tracheal epithelia of infected mice by the wild-type B. pertussis secreting both PT and CyaA toxins. Hence, the cAMP-elevating activity of B. pertussis-secreted CyaA was alone sufficient for activation of mucin production through a CREB-dependent mechanism in B. pertussis-infected airway epithelia in vivo.

Continuous Assembly of β-Roll Structures Is Implicated in the Type I-Dependent Secretion of Large Repeat-in-Toxins (RTX) Proteins

Repeats-in-Toxin (RTX) proteins of Gram-negative bacteria are excreted through the type I secretion system (T1SS) that recognizes non-cleavable C-terminal secretion signals. These are preceded by arrays of glycine and aspartate-rich nonapeptide repeats grouped by four to eight β strands into blocks that fold into calcium-binding parallel β-roll structures. The β-rolls are interspersed by linkers of variable length and sequence and the organization of multiple RTX repeat blocks within large RTX domains remains unknown. Here we examined the structure and function of the RTX domain of Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) that is composed of five β-roll RTX blocks. We show that the non-folded RTX repeats maintain the stability of the CyaA polypeptide in the Ca²⁺-depleted bacterial cytosol and thereby enable its efficient translocation through the T1SS apparatus. The efficacy of secretion of truncated CyaA constructs was dictated by the number of retained RTX repeat blocks and depended on the presence of extracellular Ca²⁺ ions. We further describe the crystal structure of the RTX blocks IV-V of CyaA (CyaA_1372-1681) that consists of a contiguous assembly of two β-rolls that differs substantially from the arrangement of the RTX blocks observed in RTX lipases or other RTX proteins. These results provide a novel structural insight into the architecture of the RTX domains of large RTX proteins and support the "push-ratchet" mechanism of the T1SS-mediated secretion of very large RTX proteins.

Bordetella Adenylate Cyclase Toxin Inhibits Monocyte-to-Macrophage Transition and Dedifferentiates Human Alveolar Macrophages into Monocyte-like Cells

Monocytes arriving at the site of infection differentiate into functional effector macrophages to replenish the resident sentinel cells. Bordetella pertussis, the pertussis agent, secretes an adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (CyaA) that binds myeloid phagocytes through complement receptor 3 (CD11b/CD18) and swiftly delivers its adenylyl cyclase enzyme domain into phagocytes. This ablates the bactericidal capacities of phagocytes through massive and unregulated conversion of cytosolic ATP into the key signaling molecule cAMP. We show that exposure of primary human monocytes to as low a concentration as 22.5 pM CyaA, or a low (2:1) multiplicity of infection by CyaA-producing B. pertussis bacteria, blocks macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)-driven differentiation of monocytes. CyaA-induced cAMP signaling mediated through the activity of protein kinase A (PKA) efficiently blocked expression of macrophage markers, and the monocytes exposed to 22.5 pM CyaA failed to acquire the characteristic intracellular complexity of mature macrophage cells. Neither M-CSF-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) expansion nor accumulation of Golgi bodies, mitochondria, or lysosomes was observed in toxin-exposed monocytes, which remained small and poorly phagocytic and lacked pseudopodia. Exposure to 22.5 pM CyaA toxin provoked loss of macrophage marker expression on in vitro differentiated macrophages, as well as on primary human alveolar macrophages, which appeared to dedifferentiate into monocyte-like cells with upregulated CD14 levels. This is the first report that terminally differentiated tissue-resident macrophage cells can be dedifferentiated in vitro The results suggest that blocking of monocyte-to-macrophage transition and/or dedifferentiation of the sentinel cells of innate immunity through cAMP-elevating toxin action may represent a novel immune evasion strategy of bacterial pathogens.IMPORTANCE Macrophages are key sentinel cells of the immune system, and, as such, they are targeted by the toxins produced by the pertussis agent Bordetella pertussis The adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) mediates immune evasion of B. pertussis by suspending the bactericidal activities of myeloid phagocytes. We reveal a novel mechanism of potential subversion of host immunity, where CyaA at very low (22 pM) concentrations could inhibit maturation of human monocyte precursors into the more phagocytic macrophage cells. Furthermore, exposure to low CyaA amounts has been shown to trigger dedifferentiation of mature primary human alveolar macrophages back into monocyte-like cells. This unprecedented capacity is likely to promote survival of the pathogen in the airways, both by preventing maturation of monocytes attracted to the site of infection into phagocytic macrophages and by dedifferentiation of the already airway-resident sentinel cells.

The Eukaryotic Host Factor 14-3-3 Inactivates Adenylate Cyclase Toxins of Bordetella bronchiseptica and B. parapertussis, but Not B. pertussis

Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella bronchiseptica, and Bordetella parapertussis share highly homologous virulence factors and commonly cause respiratory infections in mammals; however, their host specificities and disease severities differ, and the reasons for this remain largely unknown. Adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) is a homologous virulence factor that is thought to play crucial roles in Bordetella infections. We herein demonstrate that CyaAs function as virulence factors differently between B. bronchiseptica/B. parapertussis and B. pertussis. B. bronchiseptica CyaA bound to target cells, and its enzyme domain was translocated into the cytosol similarly to B. pertussis CyaA. The hemolytic activity of B. bronchiseptica CyaA on sheep erythrocytes was also preserved. However, in nucleated target cells, B. bronchiseptica CyaA was phosphorylated at Ser³⁷⁵, which constitutes a motif (RSXpSXP [pS is phosphoserine]) recognized by the host factor 14-3-3, resulting in the abrogation of adenylate cyclase activity. Consequently, the cytotoxic effects of B. bronchiseptica CyaA based on its enzyme activity were markedly attenuated. B. parapertussis CyaA carries the 14-3-3 motif, indicating that its intracellular enzyme activity is abrogated similarly to B. bronchiseptica CyaA; however, B. pertussis CyaA has Phe³⁷⁵ instead of Ser, and thus, was not affected by 14-3-3. In addition, B. pertussis CyaA impaired the barrier function of epithelial cells, whereas B. bronchiseptica CyaA did not. Rat infection experiments suggested that functional differences in CyaA are related to differences in pathogenicity between B. bronchiseptica/B. parapertussis and B. pertussis.

Bordetella pertussis, B. bronchiseptica, and B. parapertussis are bacterial respiratory pathogens that are genetically close to each other and produce many homologous virulence factors; however, their host specificities and disease severities differ, and the reasons for this remain unknown. Previous studies attempted to explain these differences by the distinct virulence factors produced by each Bordetella species. In contrast, we indicated functional differences in adenylate cyclase toxin, a homologous virulence factor of Bordetella. The toxins of B. bronchiseptica and presumably B. parapertussis were inactivated by the host factor 14-3-3 after phosphorylation in target cells, whereas the B. pertussis toxin was not inactivated because of the lack of the phosphorylation site. This is the first study to show that 14-3-3 inactivates the virulence factors of pathogens. The present results suggest that pathogenic differences in Bordetella are attributed to the different activities of adenylate cyclase toxins.

Cyclic AMP-Elevating Capacity of Adenylate Cyclase Toxin-Hemolysin Is Sufficient for Lung Infection but Not for Full Virulence of Bordetella pertussis

The adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (CyaA, ACT, or AC-Hly) of Bordetella pertussis targets phagocytic cells expressing the complement receptor 3 (CR3, Mac-1, α_Mβ₂ integrin, or CD11b/CD18). CyaA delivers into cells an N-terminal adenylyl cyclase (AC) enzyme domain that is activated by cytosolic calmodulin and catalyzes unregulated conversion of cellular ATP into cyclic AMP (cAMP), a key second messenger subverting bactericidal activities of phagocytes. In parallel, the hemolysin (Hly) moiety of CyaA forms cation-selective hemolytic pores that permeabilize target cell membranes. We constructed the first B. pertussis mutant secreting a CyaA toxin having an intact capacity to deliver the AC enzyme into CD11b-expressing (CD11b⁺) host phagocytes but impaired in formation of cell-permeabilizing pores and defective in cAMP elevation in CD11b^- cells. The nonhemolytic AC⁺ Hly^- bacteria inhibited the antigen-presenting capacities of coincubated mouse dendritic cells in vitro and skewed their Toll-like receptor (TLR)-triggered maturation toward a tolerogenic phenotype. The AC⁺ Hly^- mutant also infected mouse lungs as efficiently as the parental AC⁺ Hly⁺ strain. Hence, elevation of cAMP in CD11b^- cells and/or the pore-forming capacity of CyaA were not required for infection of mouse airways. The latter activities were, however, involved in bacterial penetration across the epithelial layer, enhanced neutrophil influx into lung parenchyma during sublethal infections, and the exacerbated lung pathology and lethality of B. pertussis infections at higher inoculation doses (>10⁷ CFU/mouse). The pore-forming activity of CyaA further synergized with the cAMP-elevating activity in downregulation of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules on infiltrating myeloid cells, likely contributing to immune subversion of host defenses by the whooping cough agent.

Fine Epitope Mapping of Two Antibodies Neutralizing the Bordetella Adenylate Cyclase Toxin

Adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) is an important Bordetella pertussis virulence factor that is not included in current acellular pertussis vaccines. We previously demonstrated that immunization with the repeat-in-toxin (RTX) domain of ACT elicits neutralizing antibodies in mice and discovered the first two antibodies to neutralize ACT activities by occluding the receptor-binding site. Here, we fully characterize these antibodies and their epitopes. Both antibodies bind ACT with low nanomolar affinity and cross-react with ACT homologues produced by B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica. Antibody M1H5 binds B. pertussis RTX₇₅₁ ∼100-fold tighter than RTX₇₅₁ from the other two species, while antibody M2B10 has similar affinity for all three variants. To initially map the antibody epitopes, we generated a series of ACT chimeras and truncation variants, which implicated the repeat blocks II-III. To identify individual epitope residues, we displayed randomly mutated RTX₇₅₁ libraries on yeast and isolated clones with decreased antibody binding by flow cytometry. Next-generation sequencing identified candidate epitope residues on the basis of enrichment of clones with mutations at specific positions. These epitopes form two adjacent surface patches on a predicted structural model of the RTX₇₅₁ domain, one for each antibody. Notably, the cellular receptor also binds within blocks II-III and shares at least one residue with the M1H5 epitope. The RTX₇₅₁ model supports the notion that the antibody and receptor epitopes overlap. These data provide insight into mechanisms of ACT neutralization and guidance for engineering more stable RTX variants that may be more appropriate vaccine antigens.

Bordetella parapertussis Circumvents Neutrophil Extracellular Bactericidal Mechanisms

B. parapertussis is a whooping cough etiological agent with the ability to evade the immune response induced by pertussis vaccines. We previously demonstrated that in the absence of opsonic antibodies B. parapertussis hampers phagocytosis by neutrophils and macrophages and, when phagocytosed, blocks intracellular killing by interfering with phagolysosomal fusion. But neutrophils can kill and/or immobilize extracellular bacteria through non-phagocytic mechanisms such as degranulation and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In this study we demonstrated that B. parapertussis also has the ability to circumvent these two neutrophil extracellular bactericidal activities. The lack of neutrophil degranulation was found dependent on the O antigen that targets the bacteria to cell lipid rafts, eventually avoiding the fusion of nascent phagosomes with specific and azurophilic granules. IgG opsonization overcame this inhibition of neutrophil degranulation. We further observed that B. parapertussis did not induce NETs release in resting neutrophils and inhibited NETs formation in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulation by a mechanism dependent on adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA)-mediated inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Thus, B. parapertussis modulates neutrophil bactericidal activity through two different mechanisms, one related to the lack of proper NETs-inducer stimuli and the other one related to an active inhibitory mechanism. Together with previous results these data suggest that B. parapertussis has the ability to subvert the main neutrophil bactericidal functions, inhibiting efficient clearance in non-immune hosts.

Use of a Toxin Neutralization Assay To Characterize the Serologic Response to Adenylate Cyclase Toxin after Infection with Bordetella pertussis

Adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) is an essential virulence factor of Bordetella pertussis, and antibodies to ACT protect against B. pertussis infection in mice. The toxin is therefore a strong candidate antigen for addition to future acellular pertussis vaccines. In order to characterize the functionality of the immunologic response to ACT after infection, we developed an assay for testing the ability of serum samples from subjects infected with B. pertussis to neutralize ACT-induced cytotoxicity in J774 macrophage cells. Baboons develop neutralizing anti-ACT antibodies following infection with B. pertussis, and all sera from baboons with positive anti-ACT IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results neutralized ACT cytotoxicity. The toxin neutralization assay (TNA) was positive in some baboon sera in which ELISA remained negative. Of serum samples obtained from humans diagnosed with pertussis by PCR, anti-ACT IgG ELISA was positive in 72%, and TNA was positive in 83%. All samples positive for anti-ACT IgG ELISA were positive by TNA, and none of the samples from humans without pertussis neutralized toxin activity. These findings indicate that antibodies to ACT generated following infection with B. pertussis consistently neutralize toxin-induced cytotoxicity and that TNA can be used to improve understanding of the immunologic response to ACT after infection or vaccination.

Modulation of Pertussis and Adenylate Cyclase Toxins by Sigma Factor RpoE in Bordetella pertussis

Bordetella pertussis is a human pathogen that can infect the respiratory tract and cause the disease known as whooping cough. B. pertussis uses pertussis toxin (PT) and adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) to kill and modulate host cells to allow the pathogen to survive and persist. B. pertussis encodes many uncharacterized transcription factors, and very little is known about their functions. RpoE is a sigma factor which, in other bacteria, responds to oxidative, heat, and other environmental stresses. RseA is a negative regulator of RpoE that sequesters the sigma factor to regulate gene expression based on conditions. In B. pertussis, deletion of the rseA gene results in high transcriptional activity of RpoE and large amounts of secretion of ACT. By comparing parental B. pertussis to an rseA gene deletion mutant (PM18), we sought to characterize the roles of RpoE in virulence and determine the regulon of genes controlled by RpoE. Despite high expression of ACT, the rseA mutant strain did not infect the murine airway as efficiently as the parental strain and PM18 was killed more readily when inside phagocytes. RNA sequencing analysis was performed and 263 genes were differentially regulated by RpoE, and surprisingly, the rseA mutant strain where RpoE activity was elevated expressed very little pertussis toxin. Western blots and proteomic analysis corroborated the inverse relationship of PT to ACT expression in the high-RpoE-activity rseA deletion strain. Our data suggest that RpoE can modulate PT and ACT expression indirectly through unidentified mechanisms in response to conditions.

Bordetella adenylate cyclase toxin interacts with filamentous haemagglutinin to inhibit biofilm formation in vitro

Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, secretes and releases adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT), which is a protein bacterial toxin that targets host cells and disarms immune defenses. ACT binds filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), a surface-displayed adhesin, and until now, the consequences of this interaction were unknown. A B. bronchiseptica mutant lacking ACT produced more biofilm than the parental strain; leading Irie et al. to propose the ACT-FHA interaction could be responsible for biofilm inhibition. Here we characterize the physical interaction of ACT with FHA and provide evidence linking that interaction to inhibition of biofilm in vitro. Exogenous ACT inhibits biofilm formation in a concentration-dependent manner and the N-terminal catalytic domain of ACT (AC domain) is necessary and sufficient for this inhibitory effect. AC Domain interacts with the C-terminal segment of FHA with ∼650 nM affinity. ACT does not inhibit biofilm formation by Bordetella lacking the mature C-terminal domain (MCD), suggesting the direct interaction between AC domain and the MCD is required for the inhibitory effect. Additionally, AC domain disrupts preformed biofilm on abiotic surfaces. The demonstrated inhibition of biofilm formation by a host-directed protein bacterial toxin represents a novel regulatory mechanism and identifies an unprecedented role for ACT.

Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin itself does not trigger anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 production by human dendritic cells

Filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) is an important adhesin of the whooping cough agent Bordetella pertussis and is contained in most acellular pertussis vaccines. Recently, FHA was proposed to exert an immunomodulatory activity through induction of tolerogenic IL-10 secretion from dendritic cells. We have re-evaluated the cytokine-inducing activity of FHA, placing specific emphasis on the role of the residual endotoxin contamination of FHA preparations. We show that endotoxin depletion did not affect the capacity of FHA to bind primary human monocyte-derived dendritic cells, while it abrogated the capacity of FHA to elicit TNF-α and IL-10 secretion and strongly reduced its capacity to trigger IL-6 production. The levels of cytokines induced by the different FHA preparations correlated with their residual contents of B. pertussis endotoxin. Moreover, FHA failed to trigger cytokine secretion in the presence of antibodies that block TLR2 and/or TLR4 signaling. The TLR2 signaling capacity appeared to be linked to the presence of endotoxin-associated components in FHA preparations and not to the FHA protein itself. These results show that the endotoxin-depleted FHA protein does not induce cytokine release from human dendritic cells.

Bordetella adenylate cyclase toxin: a unique combination of a pore-forming moiety with a cell-invading adenylate cyclase enzyme

The adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (CyaA, ACT or AC-Hly) is a key virulence factor of the whooping cough agent Bordetella pertussis. CyaA targets myeloid phagocytes expressing the complement receptor 3 (CR3, known as αMβ2 integrin CD11b/CD18 or Mac-1) and translocates by a poorly understood mechanism directly across the cytoplasmic membrane into cell cytosol of phagocytes an adenylyl cyclase(AC) enzyme. This binds intracellular calmodulin and catalyzes unregulated conversion of cytosolic ATP into cAMP. Among other effects, this yields activation of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1, BimEL accumulation and phagocyte apoptosis induction. In parallel, CyaA acts as a cytolysin that forms cation-selective pores in target membranes. Direct penetration of CyaA into the cytosol of professional antigen-presenting cells allows the use of an enzymatically inactive CyaA toxoid as a tool for delivery of passenger antigens into the cytosolic pathway of processing and MHC class I-restricted presentation, which can be exploited for induction of antigen-specific CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte immune responses.

Isolated CyaA-RTX subdomain from Bordetella pertussis: Structural and functional implications for its interaction with target erythrocyte membranes

The 126-kDa Bordetella pertussis CyaA-hemolysin (CyaA-Hly) was previously expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble precursor that can be acylated to retain hemolytic activity. Here, we investigated structural and functional characteristics of a ∼100-kDa isolated RTX (Repeat-in-ToXin) subdomain (CyaA-RTX) of CyaA-Hly. Initially, we succeeded in producing a large amount with high purity of the His-tagged CyaA-RTX fragment and in establishing the interaction of acylated CyaA-Hly with sheep red blood cell (sRBC) membranes by immuno-localization. Following pre-incubation of sRBCs with non-acylated CyaA-Hly or with the CyaA-RTX fragment that itself produces no hemolytic activity, there was a dramatic decrease in CyaA-Hly-induced hemolysis. When CyaA-RTX was pre-incubated with anti-CyaA-RTX antisera, the capability of CyaA-RTX to neutralize the hemolytic activity of CyaA-Hly was greatly decreased. A homology-based model of the 100-kDa CyaA-RTX subdomain revealed a loop structure in Linker II sharing sequence similarity to human WW domains. Sequence alignment of Linker II with the human WW-domain family revealed highly conserved aromatic residues important for protein-protein interactions. Altogether, our present study demonstrates that the recombinant CyaA-RTX subdomain retains its functionality with respect to binding to target erythrocyte membranes and the WW-homologous region in Linker II conceivably serves as a functional segment required for receptor-binding activity.

The Bordetella adenylate cyclase repeat-in-toxin (RTX) domain is immunodominant and elicits neutralizing antibodies

The adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) is a multifunctional virulence factor secreted by Bordetella species. Upon interaction of its C-terminal hemolysin moiety with the cell surface receptor αMβ2 integrin, the N-terminal cyclase domain translocates into the host cell cytosol where it rapidly generates supraphysiological cAMP concentrations, which inhibit host cell anti-bacterial activities. Although ACT has been shown to induce protective immunity in mice, it is not included in any current acellular pertussis vaccines due to protein stability issues and a poor understanding of its role as a protective antigen. Here, we aimed to determine whether any single domain could recapitulate the antibody responses induced by the holo-toxin and to characterize the dominant neutralizing antibody response. We first immunized mice with ACT and screened antibody phage display libraries for binding to purified ACT. The vast majority of unique antibodies identified bound the C-terminal repeat-in-toxin (RTX) domain. Representative antibodies binding two nonoverlapping, neutralizing epitopes in the RTX domain prevented ACT association with J774A.1 macrophages and soluble αMβ2 integrin, suggesting that these antibodies inhibit the ACT-receptor interaction. Sera from mice immunized with the RTX domain showed similar neutralizing activity as ACT-immunized mice, indicating that this domain induced an antibody response similar to that induced by ACT. These data demonstrate that RTX can elicit neutralizing antibodies and suggest it may present an alternative to ACT.

Cyclic AMP-mediated suppression of neutrophil extracellular trap formation and apoptosis by the Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin

The adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) of Bordetella pertussis intoxicates target cells by generating supraphysiologic levels of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP). Since ACT kills macrophages rapidly and potently, we asked whether ACT would also kill neutrophils. In fact, ACT prolongs the neutrophil life span by inhibiting constitutive apoptosis and preventing apoptosis induced by exposure to live B. pertussis. Imaging of B. pertussis-exposed neutrophils revealed that B. pertussis lacking ACT induces formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), whereas wild-type B. pertussis does not, suggesting that ACT suppresses NET formation. Indeed, ACT inhibits formation of NETs by generating cAMP and consequently inhibiting the oxidative burst. Convalescent-phase serum from humans following clinical pertussis blocks the ACT-mediated suppression of NET formation. These studies provide novel insight into the phagocyte impotence caused by ACT, which not only impairs neutrophil function but also inhibits death of neutrophils by apoptosis and NETosis.

Adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin relevance for pertussis vaccines

The adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (ACT, AC-Hly or CyaA) is a key virulence factor of Bordetella pertussis. It targets bactericidal activities of phagocytes, such as oxidative burst and complement- or antibody-mediated opsonophagocytic killing of bacteria. Through cAMP signaling, CyaA also skews TLR-triggered maturation of dendritic cells, inhibiting proinflammatory IL-12 and TNF-α secretion and enhancing IL-10 production and Treg expansion, likely hampering induction of adaptive immune responses to Bordetella infections. Non-enzymatic CyaA toxoid is a potent protective antigen and adjuvant that boosts immunogenicity of co-administered B. pertussis antigens and improves potency of acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines in mice. This makes CyaA a prime antigen candidate for inclusion into a next generation of aP vaccines. Moreover, recombinant CyaA toxoids were recently shown to be safe in humans in frame of Phase I clinical evaluation of a CyaA-based immunotherapeutic vaccine that induces Th1-polarized CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses targeting cervical tumors.

Back to the future: recombinant polyclonal antibody therapeutics

Antibody therapeutics are one of the fastest growing classes of pharmaceuticals, with an annual US market over $20 billion, developed to treat a variety of diseases including cancer, auto-immune and infectious diseases. Most are currently administered as a single molecule to treat a single disease, however there is mounting evidence that cocktails of multiple antibodies, each with a unique binding specificity and protective mechanism, may improve clinical efficacy. Here, we review progress in the development of oligoclonal combinations of antibodies to treat disease, focusing on identification of synergistic antibodies. We then discuss the application of modern antibody engineering technologies to produce highly potent antibody preparations, including oligoclonal antibody cocktails and truly recombinant polyclonal antibodies. Specific examples illustrating the synergy conferred by multiple antibodies will be provided for diseases caused by botulinum toxin, cancer and immune thrombocytopenia. The bioprocessing and regulatory options for these preparations will be discussed.

Differences in purinergic amplification of osmotic cell lysis by the pore-forming RTX toxins Bordetella pertussis CyaA and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae ApxIA: the role of pore size

A large subgroup of the repeat in toxin (RTX) family of leukotoxins of Gram-negative pathogens consists of pore-forming hemolysins. These can permeabilize mammalian erythrocytes (RBCs) and provoke their colloid osmotic lysis (hemolytic activity). Recently, ATP leakage through pannexin channels and P2X receptor-mediated opening of cellular calcium and potassium channels were implicated in cell permeabilization by pore-forming toxins. In the study described here, we examined the role played by purinergic signaling in the cytolytic action of two RTX toxins that form pores of different sizes. The cytolytic potency of ApxIA hemolysin of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, which forms pores about 2.4 nm wide, was clearly reduced in the presence of P2X7 receptor antagonists or an ATP scavenger, such as pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid (PPADS), Brilliant Blue G, ATP oxidized sodium salt, or hexokinase. In contrast, antagonists of purinergic signaling had no impact on the hemolytic potency of the adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (CyaA) of Bordetella pertussis, which forms pores of 0.6 to 0.8 nm in diameter. Moreover, the conductance of pores formed by ApxIA increased with the toxin concentration, while the conductance of the CyaA single pore units was constant at various toxin concentrations. However, the P2X7 receptor antagonist PPADS inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the exacerbated hemolytic activity of a CyaA-ΔN489 construct (lacking 489 N-terminal residues of CyaA), which exhibited a strongly enhanced pore-forming propensity (>20-fold) and also formed severalfold larger conductance units in planar lipid bilayers than intact CyaA. These results point to a pore size threshold of purinergic amplification involvement in cell permeabilization by pore-forming RTX toxins.

Calpain-Mediated Processing of Adenylate Cyclase Toxin Generates a Cytosolic Soluble Catalytically Active N-Terminal Domain

Bordetella pertussis, the whooping cough pathogen, secretes several virulence factors among which adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) is essential for establishment of the disease in the respiratory tract. ACT weakens host defenses by suppressing important bactericidal activities of the phagocytic cells. Up to now, it was believed that cell intoxication by ACT was a consequence of the accumulation of abnormally high levels of cAMP, generated exclusively beneath the host plasma membrane by the toxin N-terminal catalytic adenylate cyclase (AC) domain, upon its direct translocation across the lipid bilayer. Here we show that host calpain, a calcium-dependent Cys-protease, is activated into the phagocytes by a toxin-triggered calcium rise, resulting in the proteolytic cleavage of the toxin N-terminal domain that releases a catalytically active "soluble AC". The calpain-mediated ACT processing allows trafficking of the "soluble AC" domain into subcellular organella. At least two strategic advantages arise from this singular toxin cleavage, enhancing the specificity of action, and simultaneously preventing an indiscriminate activation of cAMP effectors throughout the cell. The present study provides novel insights into the toxin mechanism of action, as the calpain-mediated toxin processing would confer ACT the capacity for a space- and time-coordinated production of different cAMP "pools", which would play different roles in the cell pathophysiology.

Monoclonal antibodies and toxins--a perspective on function and isotype

Antibody therapy remains the only effective treatment for toxin-mediated diseases. The development of hybridoma technology has allowed the isolation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with high specificity and defined properties, and numerous mAbs have been purified and characterized for their protective efficacy against different toxins. This review summarizes the mAb studies for 6 toxins—Shiga toxin, pertussis toxin, anthrax toxin, ricin toxin, botulinum toxin, and Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)—and analyzes the prevalence of mAb functions and their isotypes. Here we show that most toxin-binding mAbs resulted from immunization are non-protective and that mAbs with potential therapeutic use are preferably characterized. Various common practices and caveats of protection studies are discussed, with the goal of providing insights for the design of future research on antibody-toxin interactions.

Delivery of large heterologous polypeptides across the cytoplasmic membrane of antigen-presenting cells by the Bordetella RTX hemolysin moiety lacking the adenylyl cyclase domain

The Bordetella adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (CyaA; also called ACT or AC-Hly) targets CD11b-expressing phagocytes and translocates into their cytosol an adenylyl cyclase (AC) that hijacks cellular signaling by conversion of ATP to cyclic AMP (cAMP). Intriguingly, insertion of large passenger peptides removes the enzymatic activity but not the cell-invasive capacity of the AC domain. This has repeatedly been exploited for delivery of heterologous antigens into the cytosolic pathway of CD11b-expressing dendritic cells by CyaA/AC(-) toxoids, thus enabling their processing and presentation on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules to cytotoxic CD8(+) T lymphocytes (CTLs). We produced a set of toxoids with overlapping deletions within the first 371 residues of CyaA and showed that the structure of the AC enzyme does not contain any sequences indispensable for its translocation across target cell membrane. Moreover, replacement of the AC domain (residues 1 to 371) with heterologous polypeptides of 40, 146, or 203 residues yielded CyaAΔAC constructs that delivered passenger CTL epitopes into antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and induced strong antigen-specific CD8(+) CTL responses in vivo in mice and ex vivo in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures. This shows that the RTX (repeats in toxin) hemolysin moiety, consisting of residues 374 to 1706 of CyaA, harbors all structural information involved in translocation of the N-terminal AC domain across target cell membranes. These results decipher the extraordinary capacity of the AC domain of CyaA to transport large heterologous cargo polypeptides into the cytosol of CD11b(+) target cells and pave the way for the construction of CyaAΔAC-based polyvalent immunotherapeutic T cell vaccines.

Role of CD11b/CD18 in the process of intoxication by the adenylate cyclase toxin of Bordetella pertussis

The adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) of Bordetella pertussis does not require a receptor to generate intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) in a broad range of cell types. To intoxicate cells, ACT binds to the cell surface, translocates its catalytic domain across the cell membrane, and converts intracellular ATP to cAMP. In cells that express the integrin CD11b/CD18 (CR3), ACT is more potent than in CR3-negative cells. We find, however, that the maximum levels of cAMP accumulation inside CR3-positive and -negative cells are comparable. To better understand how CR3 affects the generation of cAMP, we used Chinese hamster ovary and K562 cells transfected to express CR3 and examined the steps in intoxication in the presence and absence of the integrin. The binding of ACT to cells is greater in CR3-expressing cells at all concentrations of ACT, and translocation of the catalytic domain is enhanced by CR3 expression, with ∼80% of ACT molecules translocating their catalytic domain in CR3-positive cells but only 25% in CR3-negative cells. Once in the cytosol, the unregulated catalytic domain converts ATP to cAMP, and at ACT concentrations >1,000 ng/ml, the intracellular ATP concentration is <5% of that in untreated cells, regardless of CR3 expression. This depletion of ATP prevents further production of cAMP, despite the CR3-mediated enhancement of binding and translocation. In addition to characterizing the effects of CR3 on the actions of ACT, these data show that ATP consumption is yet another concentration-dependent activity of ACT that must be considered when studying how ACT affects target cells.

Cell cycle arrest induced by the bacterial adenylate cyclase toxins from Bacillus anthracis and Bordetella pertussis

Bacillus anthracis oedema toxin (ET) and Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) enter host cells and produce cAMP. To understand the cellular consequences, we exposed J774 cells to these toxins at ng ml(-1) (pM) concentrations, then followed cell number and changes in cell signalling pathways. Under these conditions, both toxins produce a concentration-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation without cytotoxicity. ET and ACT increase the proportion of cells in G(1) /G(0) and reduce S phase, such that a single addition of ET or ACT inhibits cell division for 3-6 days. Treatment with ET or ACT produces striking changes in proteins controlling cell cycle, including virtual elimination of phosphorylated ERK 1/2 and Cyclin D1 and increases in phospho-CREB and p27(Kip1) . Importantly, PD98059, a MEK inhibitor, elicits a comparable reduction in Cyclin D1 to that produced by the toxins and blocks proliferation. These data show that non-lethal concentrations of ET and ACT impose a prolonged block on the proliferation of J774 cells by impairment of the progression from G(1) /G(0) to S phase in a process involving cAMP-mediated increases in phospho-CREB and p27(Kip1) and reductions in phospho-ERK 1/2 and Cyclin D1. This phenomenon represents a new mechanism by which these toxins affect host cells.

Bordetella adenylate cyclase toxin mobilizes its beta2 integrin receptor into lipid rafts to accomplish translocation across target cell membrane in two steps

Bordetella adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) binds the α_Mβ₂ integrin (CD11b/CD18, Mac-1, or CR3) of myeloid phagocytes and delivers into their cytosol an adenylate cyclase (AC) enzyme that converts ATP into the key signaling molecule cAMP. We show that penetration of the AC domain across cell membrane proceeds in two steps. It starts by membrane insertion of a toxin ‘translocation intermediate’, which can be ‘locked’ in the membrane by the 3D1 antibody blocking AC domain translocation. Insertion of the ‘intermediate’ permeabilizes cells for influx of extracellular calcium ions and thus activates calpain-mediated cleavage of the talin tether. Recruitment of the integrin-CyaA complex into lipid rafts follows and the cholesterol-rich lipid environment promotes translocation of the AC domain across cell membrane. AC translocation into cells was inhibited upon raft disruption by cholesterol depletion, or when CyaA mobilization into rafts was blocked by inhibition of talin processing. Furthermore, CyaA mutants unable to mobilize calcium into cells failed to relocate into lipid rafts, and failed to translocate the AC domain across cell membrane, unless rescued by Ca²⁺ influx promoted in trans by ionomycin or another CyaA protein. Hence, by mobilizing calcium ions into phagocytes, the ‘translocation intermediate’ promotes toxin piggybacking on integrin into lipid rafts and enables AC enzyme delivery into host cytosol.

The adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) of pathogenic Bordetellae eliminates the first line of host innate immune defense. It penetrates myeloid phagocytes, such as neutrophils, macrophage or dendritic cells, and subverts their signaling by catalyzing an extremely rapid conversion of intracellular ATP to the key signaling molecule cAMP. This efficiently inhibits the oxidative burst and complement-mediated opsonophagocytic killing of bacteria, thus enabling the pathogen to colonize host airways. We show that translocation of CyaA into phagocyte cytosol occurs in two steps. The toxin first binds the integrin CD11b/CD18 and inserts into phagocyte membrane to mediate influx of calcium ions into cells. This promotes relocation of the toxin-receptor complex into specific lipid microdomains within cell membrane called rafts. The increased concentrations of cholesterol within rafts and their particular lipid organization then support translocation of the adenylate cyclase enzyme directly into the cytoplasmic compartment of cells. The mechanism of CyaA penetration into cells sets a new paradigm for membrane translocation of toxins of the RTX family.

Selective translocation of the Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin across the basolateral membranes of polarized epithelial cells

The catalytic domain of Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) translocates directly across the plasma membrane of mammalian cells to induce toxicity by the production of cAMP. Here, we use electrophysiology to examine the translocation of toxin into polarized epithelial cells that model the mucosal surfaces of the host. We find that both polarized T84 cell monolayers and human airway epithelial cultures respond to nanomolar concentrations of ACT when applied to basolateral membranes, with little or no response to toxin applied apically. The induction of toxicity is rapid and fully explained by increases in intracellular cAMP, consistent with toxin translocation directly across the basolateral membrane. Intoxication of T84 cells occurs in the absence of CD11b/CD18 or evidence of another specific membrane receptor, and it is not dependent on post-translational acylation of the toxin or on host cell membrane potential, both previously reported to be required for toxin action. Thus, elements of the basolateral membrane render epithelial cells highly sensitive to the entry of ACT in the absence of a specific receptor for toxin binding.

Genomic analysis of the adenylate cyclase-hemolysin C-terminal region of Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica

Adenylate cyclase-hemolysin plays an important role in the virulence of Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica species. Its C-terminal region carries protective epitopes and receptor binding site for human cells. Genomic analyses of this region indicate no polymorphism in B. pertussis and B. parapertussis regions, but substantial variability in B. bronchiseptica that might be linked to the various niches of this species.

Replacement of adenylate cyclase toxin in a lineage of Bordetella bronchiseptica

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a gram-negative respiratory pathogen that infects a wide range of hosts and causes a diverse spectrum of disease. This diversity is likely affected by multiple factors, such as host immune status, polymicrobial infection, and strain diversity. In a murine model of infection, we found that the virulence of B. bronchiseptica strains, as measured by the mean lethal dose, varied widely. Strain 253 was less virulent than the typically studied strain, RB50. Transcriptome analysis showed that cyaA, the gene encoding adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA), was the most downregulated transcript identified in strain 253 compared to that in strain RB50. Comparative genomic hybridization and genome sequencing of strain 253 revealed that the cya locus, which encodes, activates, and secretes CyaA, was replaced by an operon (ptp) predicted to encode peptide transport proteins. Other B. bronchiseptica strains from the same phylogenetic lineage as that of strain 253 also lacked the cya locus, contained the ptp genes, and were less virulent than strain RB50. Although the loss of CyaA would be expected to be counterselected since it is conserved among the classical bordetellae and believed to be important to their success, our data indicate that the loss of this toxin and the gain of the ptp genes occurred in an ancestral strain that then expanded into a lineage. This suggests that there may be ecological niches in which CyaA is not critical for the success of B. bronchiseptica.

Interaction between the co-inherited TraG coupling protein and the TraJ membrane-associated protein of the H-plasmid conjugative DNA transfer system resembles chromosomal DNA translocases

Bacterial conjugation is a DNA transfer event that requires three plasmid-encoded multi-protein complexes: the membrane-spanning mating pair formation (Mpf) complex, the cytoplasmic nucleoprotein relaxosome complex, and a homo-multimeric coupling protein that links the Mpf and relaxosome at the cytoplasmic membrane. Bacterial two-hybrid (BTH) technology and immunoprecipitation were used to demonstrate an interaction between the IncH plasmid-encoded transfer protein TraJ and the coupling protein TraG. TraJ is essential for conjugative transfer but is not required for the formation of the conjugative pilus, and is therefore not regarded as an Mpf component. Fractionation studies indicated that TraJ shared a similar cellular domain to that of TraG at the cellular membrane. Protein blast analyses have previously identified TraJ homologues encoded in a multitude of plasmid and chromosomal genomes that were also found to encode an adjacent TraG homologue, thus indicating co-inheritance. BTH analysis of these TraJ and cognate TraG homologues demonstrated conservation of the TraJ-TraG interaction. Additional occurrences of the traJ-traG module were also detected in genomic sequence data throughout the Proteobacteria, and phylogenetic comparison of these IncH-like TraG proteins with the coupling proteins encoded by other conjugative transfer systems (including IncP, IncW and IncF) that lack TraJ homologues indicated that the H-like coupling proteins were distinct. Accordingly, the IncP, IncW and IncF coupling proteins were unable to interact with TraJ, but were able to interact with IncH plasmid-encoded TrhB, an Mpf component known to complex with its cognate coupling protein TraG. The divergence of the IncH-type coupling proteins may partly be due to the requirement of TraJ interaction, and notably, TraG and TraJ cumulatively represent the domain architecture of the known translocase family FtsK/SpoIIIE. It is proposed that TraJ is a functional part of the IncH-type coupling protein complex required for translocation of DNA through the cytoplasmic membrane.

Characterization of serological responses to pertussis

We have compared the use of five nonvaccine antigens to the use of conventional vaccine antigens, pertussis toxin (PT), and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) for the serological diagnosis of pertussis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The nonvaccine antigens included the catalytic region of adenylate cyclase toxin (CatACT), the C-terminal region of FHA (C-FHA), lipooligosaccharide (LOS), the peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (PAL), and the BrkA protein. The serological responses of individuals with culture-confirmed pertussis were compared to those of adults with no recent history of a coughing disease. An immunoglobulin G (IgG) ELISA for PT was the most sensitive (92.2%) test for the serodiagnosis of pertussis. Of the nonvaccine antigens, ELISA for IgG responses to CatACT (sensitivity, 62.8%), C-FHA (sensitivity, 39.2%), and LOS IgA (sensitivity, 29.4%) were less sensitive but could also distinguish culture-positive individuals from control individuals. The use of a combination of multiple ELISA targets improved the sensitivity of the assay for serological diagnosis. Elevated IgG and IgA antibody titers persisted for more than a year in the individuals with culture-confirmed pertussis.

Macrophage cytotoxicity produced by adenylate cyclase toxin from Bordetella pertussis: more than just making cyclic AMP!

The cytotoxic effect of adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin from Bordetella pertussis on host cells has been attributed to the production of supraphysiologic levels of cyclic AMP by the toxin. We have tested this hypothesis and show that at least two different mechanisms, cAMP accumulation/ATP depletion and oligomerization/pore formation, contribute, perhaps synergistically, to AC toxin-induced cytotoxicity. Wild-type (WT) AC toxin causes cell death associated with an increase in cAMP, a reduction in ATP, activation of caspases 3/7, and increased annexin V and TUNEL staining. In contrast, a non-acylated, enzymatically active, non-haemolytic form of AC toxin is able to increase cAMP, reduce ATP and elicit annexin V staining, but the decrease in ATP and the annexin staining are transient and there is minimal caspase activation, TUNEL staining and cell death. Mutant AC toxins defective in either enzymatic activity or the ability to deliver their enzymatic domain are able to kill J774 cells, without cAMP production, and with minimal caspase activation and TUNEL staining. Comparison of the potencies of WT toxin and those of mutants that only increase cAMP or only create transmembrane pores establishes that at least two mechanisms are contributory and that simply the production of cAMP is not enough to account for the cytotoxicity produced by AC toxin.

Prime/boost immunotherapy of HPV16-induced tumors with E7 protein delivered by Bordetella adenylate cyclase and modified vaccinia virus Ankara

The Bordetella adenylate cyclase toxoid (CyaA) targets cells expressing the alphaMbeta2 integrin receptor CD11b/CD18 (CR3 or Mac-1) and can penetrate into cytosol of professional antigen-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells. This allows us to use CyaA for delivery of passenger antigens into the cytosolic pathway of processing and MHC class I-restricted presentation, which can promote induction of antigen-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte immune responses. We show here that vaccination with a genetically detoxified CyaA336/E7 protein, carrying the full-length oncoprotein E7 of the human papilloma virus 16 inserted at position 336 of the cell-invasive AC domain of CyaA, induces an E7-specific CD8+ T-cell immune response and confers on mice protective, as well as therapeutic immunity against challenge with TC-1 tumor cells expressing the E7 oncoprotein. The therapeutic efficacy of priming with the CyaA336/E7 vaccine could further be enhanced by a heterologous booster immunization with a highly attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing the E7 protein fused to the lysosome-associated membrane protein (LAMP1). These results establish the potential of CyaA as a new antigen delivery tool for prime/boost immunotherapy of tumors.

SepZ/EspZ is secreted and translocated into HeLa cells by the enteropathogenic Escherichia coli type III secretion system

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a major bacterial cause of infantile diarrhea in developing countries and is the prototype for a group of gastrointestinal pathogens causing characteristic attaching and effacing (A/E) histopathology on intestinal epithelia. A/E pathogens utilize a type III secretion system (TTSS), encoded by the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island, to deliver effector proteins into host cells. Here, we investigate sequence divergence of the LEE-encoded SepZ protein and identify it as a TTSS-secreted and -translocated molecule. SepZ is hypervariable among A/E pathogens, with sequences sharing between 60 to 81% amino acid identity with SepZ of EPEC. A SepZ-CyaA fusion was secreted and translocated into HeLa cells in a TTSS-dependent manner. Additionally, we determined that the first 20 amino acids of SepZ were sufficient to direct its translocation. In contrast to previous studies suggesting a role in invasion and the structure and/or regulation of the TTSS, we found that SepZ does not mediate uptake of EPEC into host cells or affect translocation and tyrosine phosphorylation of the translocated intimin receptor. Immunohistochemistry reveals that, after an extended HeLa cell infection, accumulated SepZ can be detected beneath the site of bacterial attachment in a subset of pedestal regions. To indicate its newly identified status as a translocated effector protein, we propose to rename SepZ as EspZ.

Bordetella pertussis lipopolysaccharide resists the bactericidal effects of pulmonary surfactant protein A

Surfactant protein A (SP-A) plays an important role in the innate immune defense of the respiratory tract. SP-A binds to lipid A of bacterial LPS, induces aggregation, destabilizes bacterial membranes, and promotes phagocytosis by neutrophils and macrophages. In this study, SP-A interaction with wild-type and mutant LPS of Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, was examined. B. pertussis LPS has a branched core structure with a nonrepeating trisaccharide, rather than a long-chain repeating O-Ag. SP-A did not bind, aggregate, nor permeabilize wild-type B. pertussis. LPS mutants lacking even one of the sugars in the terminal trisaccharide were bound and aggregated by SP-A. SP-A enhanced phagocytosis by human monocytes of LPS mutants that were able to bind SP-A, but not wild-type bacteria. SP-A enhanced phagocytosis by human neutrophils of LPS-mutant strains, but only in the absence of functional adenylate cyclase toxin, a B. pertussis toxin that has been shown to depress neutrophil activity. We conclude that the LPS of wild-type B. pertussis shields the bacteria from SP-A-mediated clearance, possibly by sterically limiting access to the lipid A region.

The N-terminus of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) Tir mediates transport across bacterial and eukaryotic cell membranes

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) uses a type III secretion system to translocate into host cells several effector molecules that are required for virulence. One of these, the translocated intimin receptor, Tir, inserts into the host cell cytoplasmic membrane, where it functions as the receptor for intimin, an outer membrane adhesin expressed by EPEC. A chaperone for Tir, called CesT, is required for stability of Tir in the EPEC cytoplasm. In this study, the cyaA gene reporter system was used to identify domains in Tir that mediate secretion into the culture supernatant and translocation into host cells. A Tir-CyaA fusion containing the first 15 N-terminal residues of Tir was secreted and translocated into HeLa cells by a deltatirdeltacesT mutant; however, maximal secretion and translocation was observed with the first 26 N-terminal residues of Tir. Fusions containing progressively larger N-terminal sequences of Tir were also efficiently secreted and translocated into HeLa cells by the deltatirdeltacesT strain. However, in a deltatir mutant that expresses CesT, Tir26-CyaA and an additional fusion containing the first 69 N-terminal residues of Tir were not secreted or translocated, but fusions containing larger N-terminal Tir sequences were secreted and translocated by the deltatir mutant. Wild-type EPEC secreted and translocated the Tir15-CyaA fusion, whereas longer fusions, such as Tir26-CyaA and Tir69-CyaA, were translocated to higher levels, similar to what was observed with the deltatirdeltacesT mutant. A Tir-CyaA fusion containing the CesT binding domain was translocated into HeLa cells more rapidly in the presence of CesT compared with translocation in the absence of CesT. Collectively, these results suggest that an N-terminal domain of 26 amino acids functions as a CesT-independent signal that is capable of delivering Tir into both the culture supernatant and the cytosol of host cells. Furthermore, in addition to its role in the stability of Tir, CesT may function in translocation by mediating rapid delivery of Tir into host cells.

Mechanism of association of adenylate cyclase toxin with the surface of Bordetella pertussis: a role for toxin-filamentous haemagglutinin interaction

Adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin from Bordetella pertussis is unusual in that, unlike most other members of the repeats-in-toxin family that are released into the extracellular milieu, it remains associated with the bacterial surface. In this study, we investigated the nature of the association of this toxin with the surface of B. pertussis. AC toxin was extracted from crude outer membrane preparations of B. pertussis with 8 M urea, but only partially with alkaline sodium carbonate and not at all with octylglucoside, suggesting that denaturation of the toxin is necessary for its removal from the membrane. B. pertussis mutants lacking filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA) released significantly more AC toxin into the medium, and AC toxin association with the bacterial surface was partially restored by expression of FHA from a plasmid, suggesting a role for FHA in surface retention of AC toxin. AC toxin distribution was unaffected by the absence of pertactin, or full-length lipopolysaccharide, or a defect in secretion of pertussis toxin. Using overlay and immunoprecipitation, we found that a direct physical association can occur between AC toxin and FHA. Combined, these findings suggest that FHA may play a role in AC toxin retention on the surface of B. pertussis and raise the possibility of an involvement of adherence mediated by FHA in delivery of AC toxin from the bacterium to the target cell.

Translocation-specific conformation of adenylate cyclase toxin from Bordetella pertussis inhibits toxin-mediated hemolysis

Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin belongs to the RTX family of toxins but is the only member with a known catalytic domain. The principal pathophysiologic function of AC toxin appears to be rapid production of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) by insertion of its catalytic domain into target cells (referred to as intoxication). Relative to other RTX toxins, AC toxin is weakly hemolytic via a process thought to involve oligomerization of toxin molecules. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 3D1, which binds to an epitope (amino acids 373 to 399) at the distal end of the catalytic domain of AC toxin, does not affect the enzymatic activity of the toxin (conversion of ATP into cAMP in a cell-free system) but does prevent delivery of the catalytic domain to the cytosol of target erythrocytes. Under these conditions, however, the ability of AC toxin to cause hemolysis is increased three- to fourfold. To determine the mechanism by which the hemolytic potency of AC toxin is altered, we used a series of deletion mutants. A mutant toxin, DeltaAC, missing amino acids 1 to 373 of the catalytic domain, has hemolytic activity comparable to that of wild-type toxin. However, binding of MAb 3D1 to DeltaAC enhances its hemolytic activity three- to fourfold similar to the enhancement of hemolysis observed with 3D1 addition to wild-type toxin. Two additional mutants, DeltaN489 (missing amino acids 6 to 489) and DeltaN518 (missing amino acids 6 to 518), exhibit more rapid hemolysis with quicker onset than wild-type toxin does, while DeltaN549 (missing amino acids 6 to 549) has reduced hemolytic activity compared to wild-type AC toxin. These data suggest that prevention of delivery of the catalytic domain or deletion of the catalytic domain, along with additional amino acids distal to it, elicits a conformation of the toxin molecule that is more favorable for hemolysis.

Neisseria meningitidis RTX protein FrpC induces high levels of serum antibodies during invasive disease: polymorphism of frpC alleles and purification of recombinant FrpC

The Neisseria meningitidis FAM20 strain secretes two proteins of unknown function, FrpA and FrpC, which contain typical RTX domains found in cytotoxins from other gram-negative pathogens. To evaluate whether the Frp proteins could be involved in meningococcal virulence, 65 isolates of all serogroups were screened by PCR for the presence of both frp genes. The frpA allele was, however, poorly conserved. A single strain harbored an frpA allele of the previously described size, while large insertions were detected in the frpA loci of 22 isolates (34%), and the 42 remaining isolates (65%) did not contain frpA at all. In contrast, frpC alleles, albeit of variable length, were detected in all invasive and most carrier strains. This suggests that meningococci may produce a family of FrpC proteins of various molecular masses. High levels of both immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA class antibodies recognizing recombinant FrpC were indeed detected in convalescent-phase sera of most patients at 2 and 4 to 5 weeks after the first symptoms of meningococcal disease. These results show that FrpC-like proteins are produced and may play a role in invasive meningococcal infections.

Translocated EspF protein from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli disrupts host intestinal barrier function

The mechanisms by which enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), an important cause of diarrhea among infants in developing countries, induce symptoms are not defined. EPEC have a type III secretion system required for characteristic attaching and effacing changes that modify the cytoskeleton and apical surface of host cells. Infection of polarized intestinal epithelial cell monolayers by EPEC leads to a loss of transepithelial electrical resistance, which also requires the type III secretion system. We demonstrate here that EspF, a protein that is secreted by EPEC via the type III secretion system, is not required for quantitatively and qualitatively typical attaching and effacing lesion formation in intestinal epithelial cells. However, EspF is required in a dose-dependent fashion for the loss of transepithelial electrical resistance, for increased monolayer permeability, and for redistribution of the tight junction-associated protein occludin. Furthermore, the analysis of EPEC strains expressing EspF-adenylate cyclase fusion proteins indicates that EspF is translocated via the type III secretion system to the cytoplasm of host cells, a result confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. These studies suggest a novel role for EspF as an effector protein that disrupts intestinal barrier function without involvement in attaching and effacing lesion formation.

Deletion of the cell-division inhibitor MinC results in lysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

The minCDE genes involved in division site selection in Neisseria gonorrhoeae were identified using raw data from the N. gonorrhoeae genome project and are part of a cluster of 27 genes. When gonococcal min genes were heterologously expressed as a cluster in Escherichia coli, minicells and filaments were produced, indicating that gonococcal min genes disrupted cell division in other genera. The insertional inactivation of the minC gene of N. gonorrhoeae CH811 resulted in a strain (CSRC1) with decreased viability and grossly abnormal cell division as observed by phase-contrast and electron microscopy analysis. Western blot analysis of N. gonorrhoeae CSRC1 confirmed that MinC(Ng) was not produced. Complementation of CSRC1 by integrating a minC-6xHis tag fusion at the proAB locus by homologous recombination restored viability and 1.9 times wild-type levels of MinC(Ng) expression. This slight increase of expression caused a small percentage of the complemented cells to divide aberrantly. This suggested that the 6xHis tag has partially affected the stability of MinC, or that the chromosomal position of minC is critical to its regulation. Comparison of MinC proteins from different bacteria showed a homologous region corresponding to residues 135-230 with five conserved amino acids. Overexpression of MinC(Ng) in wild-type E. coli cells induced filamentation and an E. coli minC mutant was successfully complemented with minC(Ng). Therefore, the evidence indicates that MinC from N. gonorrhoeae acts as a cell-division inhibitor and that its role is essential in maintaining proper division in cocci.

Neutralizing antibodies to adenylate cyclase toxin promote phagocytosis of Bordetella pertussis by human neutrophils

A previous study showed that opsonization with human immune serum could either promote or antagonize phagocytosis of Bordetella pertussis by human neutrophils depending on whether the bacteria expressed adenylate cyclase toxin. Opsonization of the wild-type strain inhibited phagocytosis relative to unopsonized controls. In contrast, mutants lacking adenylate cyclase toxin were efficiently phagocytosed when opsonized with human immune serum. In this study, we examined opsonization in the presence or absence of monoclonal antibodies to adenylate cyclase toxin. Addition of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to adenylate cyclase toxin converted a serum that previously inhibited both attachment and phagocytosis of the wild-type strain to one that increased both attachment and phagocytosis compared to the no-serum control. Monoclonal antibodies that recognize the adenylate cyclase toxin but fail to neutralize activity were without effect. These results suggest that adenylate cyclase toxin inhibits both Fc receptor-mediated attachment and phagocytosis of B. pertussis by neutrophils.

Adenylate cyclase toxin from Bordetella pertussis: current concepts and problems in the study of toxin functions

Adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin produced by Bordella pertussis and other Bordella species is a virulence factor and protective antigen with novel properties and activities, which make it attractive as a prototype toxin for study of membrane insertion and delivery to the target cell interior. It is unique among RTX toxins in that it possesses enzymatic (adenylate cyclase) activity, as well as the capacity to create an ion-permeable pore in target cell membranes and lyse erythrocytes. The current issues in understanding AC toxin, which will be discussed here, include the role of acylation in its various activities and the relationship among those several toxin functions.

Bordetella pertussis virulence factors affect phagocytosis by human neutrophils

The interaction between human neutrophils and wild-type Bordetella pertussis or mutants expressing altered lipopolysaccharide or lacking virulence factors-pertussis toxin, adenylate cyclase toxin, dermonecrotic toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), pertactin, or BrkA-was examined. In the absence of antibodies, the wild-type strain and the mutants, with the exception of mutants lacking FHA, attached efficiently to neutrophils. The addition of opsonizing antibodies caused a significant reduction (approximately 50%) in attachment of the wild-type strain and most of the mutants expressing FHA, suggesting that bacterium-mediated attachment is more efficient than Fc-mediated attachment. Phagocytosis was also examined. In the absence of antibodies, about 12% of the wild-type bacteria were phagocytosed. Opsonization caused a statistically significant reduction in phagocytosis (to 3%), possibly a consequence of reduced attachment. Phagocytosis of most of the mutants was similar to that of the wild type, with the exception of the mutants lacking adenylate cyclase toxin. About 70% of the adenylate cyclase toxin mutants were phagocytosed, but only in the presence of opsonizing antibody, suggesting that Fc receptor-mediated signaling may be needed for phagocytosis. These studies indicate that FHA mediates attachment of B. pertussis to neutrophils, but adenylate cyclase toxin blocks phagocytosis.

Characterization of binding of adenylate cyclase toxin to target cells by flow cytometry

Adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin from Bordetella pertussis intoxicates eukaryotic cells by increasing intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. In addition, insertion of AC toxin into the plasma membrane causes efflux of intracellular K(+) and, in a related process, hemolysis of sheep erythrocytes. Although intoxication, K(+) efflux, and hemolysis have been thoroughly investigated, there is little information on the nature of the interaction of this toxin with intact target cells. Using flow cytometry, we observe that binding of AC toxin to sheep erythrocytes and Jurkat T lymphocytes is dependent on posttranslational acylation of the toxin. Extracellular calcium is also necessary, with a steep calcium concentration dependence similar to that required for intoxication and hemolysis. Binding of AC toxin is concentration dependent but unsaturable up to 50 micrograms/ml, suggesting that if there is a specific receptor molecule with which the toxin interacts, it is not limiting. Visualization of cells by fluorescence microscopy supports the data obtained by flow cytometry and reveals a peripheral pattern of toxin distribution. AC toxin binds to erythrocytes at both 0 and 37 degrees C; however, the total binding at 0 degrees C is less than that at 37 degrees C. In human erythrocytes, AC toxin does not cause an increase in K(+) efflux or hemolysis. While AC toxin exhibits reduced potency to increase cAMP in these cells than in sheep erythrocytes, there is only a modest reduction in the binding of the toxin as measured by flow cytometry. Further use of this technique will provide new approaches for dynamic and functional analysis of the early steps involved in intoxication, K(+) efflux, and hemolysis produced by AC toxin.