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

ABSTRACT: 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.

SUBMITTER: Kanack KJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1168560 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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

Kanack Kristen J KJ Crawford J Adam JA Tatsuno Ichiro I Karmali Mohamed A MA Kaper James B JB

Infection and immunity 20050701 7

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-e ...[more]

PMID: 15972527

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Project description:UnlabelledTranslocation of effector proteins via a type III secretion system (T3SS) is a widespread infection strategy among Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Each pathogen translocates a particular set of effectors that subvert cell signaling in a way that suits its particular infection cycle. However, as effector unbalance might lead to cytotoxicity, the pathogens must employ mechanisms that regulate the intracellular effector concentration. We present evidence that the effector EspZ controls T3SS effector translocation from enteropathogenic (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) Escherichia coli. Consistently, an EPEC espZ mutant is highly cytotoxic. Following ectopic expression, we found that EspZ inhibited the formation of actin pedestals as it blocked the translocation of Tir, as well as other effectors, including Map and EspF. Moreover, during infection EspZ inhibited effector translocation following superinfection. Importantly, while EspZ of EHEC O157:H7 had a universal "translocation stop" activity, EspZ of EPEC inhibited effector translocation from typical EPEC strains but not from EHEC O157:H7 or its progenitor, atypical EPEC O55:H7. We found that the N and C termini of EspZ, which contains two transmembrane domains, face the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane at the site of bacterial attachment, while the extracellular loop of EspZ is responsible for its strain-specific activity. These results show that EPEC and EHEC acquired a sophisticated mechanism to regulate the effector translocation.ImportanceEnteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) are important diarrheal pathogens responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries and the developed world, respectively. The virulence strategy of EPEC and EHEC revolves around a conserved type III secretion system (T3SS), which translocates bacterial proteins known as effectors directly into host cells. Previous studies have shown that when cells are infected in two waves with EPEC, the first wave inhibits effector translocation by the second wave in a T3SS-dependent manner, although the factor involved was not known. Importantly, we identified EspZ as the effector responsible for blocking protein translocation following a secondary EPEC infection. Interestingly, we found that while EspZ of EHEC can block protein translocation from both EPEC and EHEC strains, EPEC EspZ cannot block translocation from EHEC. These studies show that EPEC and EHEC employ a novel infection strategy to regulate T3SS translocation.

Project description:UnlabelledType III secretion systems (TTSSs) are employed by pathogens to translocate host cells with effector proteins, which are crucial for virulence. The dynamics of effector translocation, behavior of the translocating bacteria, translocation temporal order, and relative amounts of each of the translocated effectors are all poorly characterized. To address these issues, we developed a microscopy-based assay that tracks effector translocation. We used this assay alongside a previously described real-time population-based translocation assay, focusing mainly on enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and partly comparing it to Salmonella. We found that the two pathogens exhibit different translocation behaviors: in EPEC, a subpopulation that formed microcolonies carried out most of the translocation activity, while Salmonella executed protein translocation as planktonic bacteria. We also noted variability in host cell susceptibility, with some cells highly resistant to translocation. We next extended the study to determine the translocation dynamics of twenty EPEC effectors and found that all exhibited distinct levels of translocation efficiency. Further, we mapped the global effects of key TTSS-related components on TTSS activity. Our results provide a comprehensive description of the dynamics of the TTSS activity of EPEC and new insights into the mechanisms that control the dynamics.ImportanceEPEC and the closely related enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) represent a global public health problem. New strategies to combat EPEC and EHEC infections are needed, and development of such strategies requires better understanding of their virulence machinery. The TTSS is a critical virulence mechanism employed by these pathogens, and by others, including Salmonella. In this study, we aimed at elucidating new aspects of TTSS function. The results obtained provide a comprehensive description of the dynamics of TTSS activity of EPEC and new insights into the mechanisms that control these changes. This knowledge sets the stage for further analysis of the system and may accelerate the development of new ways to treat EPEC and EHEC infections. Further, the newly described microscopy-based assay can be readily adapted to study the dynamics of TTSS activity in other pathogens.

Project description:Attaching and effacing (A/E) pathogens adhere intimately to intestinal enterocytes and efface brush border microvilli. A key virulence strategy of A/E pathogens is the type III secretion system (T3SS)-mediated delivery of effector proteins into host cells. The secreted protein EspZ is postulated to promote enterocyte survival by regulating the T3SS and/or by modulating epithelial signaling pathways. To explore the role of EspZ in A/E pathogen virulence, we generated an isogenic espZ deletion strain (?espZ) and corresponding cis-complemented derivatives of rabbit enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and compared their abilities to regulate the T3SS and influence host cell survival in vitro. For virulence studies, rabbits infected with these strains were monitored for bacterial colonization, clinical signs, and intestinal tissue alterations. Consistent with data from previous reports, espZ-transfected epithelial cells were refractory to infection-dependent effector translocation. Also, the ?espZ strain induced greater host cell death than did the parent and complemented strains. In rabbit infections, fecal ?espZ strain levels were 10-fold lower than those of the parent strain at 1 day postinfection, while the complemented strain was recovered at intermediate levels. In contrast to the parent and complemented mutants, ?espZ mutant fecal carriage progressively decreased on subsequent days. ?espZ mutant-infected animals gained weight steadily over the infection period, failed to show characteristic disease symptoms, and displayed minimal infection-induced histological alterations. Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining of intestinal sections revealed increased epithelial cell apoptosis on day 1 after infection with the ?espZ strain compared to animals infected with the parent or complemented strains. Thus, EspZ-dependent host cell cytoprotection likely prevents epithelial cell death and sloughing and thereby promotes bacterial colonization.

Dataset Information

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

Publications

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

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