Porcine aminopeptidase N binds to F4(+) enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli fimbriae

Citation: Xia, P. P., Wang, Y. T., Zhu, C. R., Zou, Y. J., Yang, Y., Liu, W., . . . Zhu, G. Q. (2016). Porcine aminopeptidase N binds to F4(+) enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli fimbriae. Veterinary Research, 47, 7. doi:10.1186/s13567-016-0313-5F4(+) enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains cause diarrheal disease in neonatal and post-weaned piglets. Several different host receptors for F4 fimbriae have been described, with porcine aminopeptidase N (APN) reported most recently. The FaeG subunit is essential for the binding of the three F4 variants to host cells. Here we show in both yeast two-hybrid and pulldown assays that APN binds directly to FaeG, the major subunit of F4 fimbriae, from three serotypes of F4(+) ETEC. Modulating APN gene expression in IPEC-J2 cells affected ETEC adherence. Antibodies raised against APN or F4 fimbriae both reduced ETEC adherence. Thus, APN mediates the attachment of F4(+) E. coli to intestinal epithelial cells

Citrobacter rodentium NleB Protein Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Receptor-associated Factor 3 (TRAF3) Ubiquitination to Reduce Host Type I Interferon Production

Citation: Gao, X. F., Pham, T. H., Feuerbacher, L. A., Chen, K. M., Hays, M. P., Singh, G., . . . Hardwidge, P. R. (2016). Citrobacter rodentium NleB Protein Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Receptor-associated Factor 3 (TRAF3) Ubiquitination to Reduce Host Type I Interferon Production. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291(35), 18232-18238. doi:10.1074/jbc.M116.738278Interferon signaling plays important roles in both intestinal homeostasis and in the host response to pathogen infection. The extent to which bacterial pathogens inhibit this host pathway is an understudied area of investigation. We characterized Citrobacter rodentium strains bearing deletions in individual type III secretion system effector genes to determine whether this pathogen inhibits the host type I IFN response and which effector is responsible. The NleB effector limited host IFN- production by inhibiting Lys(63)-linked ubiquitination of TNF receptor-associated factor 3 (TRAF3). Inhibition was dependent on the glycosyltransferase activity of NleB. GAPDH, a target of NleB during infection, bound to TRAF3 and was required for maximal TRAF3 ubiquitination. NleB glycosyltransferase activity inhibited GAPDH-TRAF3 binding, resulting in reduced TRAF3 ubiquitination. Collectively, our data reveal important interplay between GAPDH and TRAF3 and suggest a mechanism by which the NleB effector inhibits type I IFN signaling

Generating operative workflows for vestibular schwannoma resection: a two-stage Delphi consensus in collaboration with British Skull Base Society. Part 1: the retrosigmoid approach

Objective: An operative workflow systematically compartmentalises operations into hierarchal components of phases, steps, instrument, technique errors and event errors. Operative workflow provides a foundation for education, training, and understanding of surgical variation. In Part 1 we present a codified operative workflow for the retrosigmoid approach to vestibular schwannoma resection. / Methods: A mixed-method consensus process of literature review, small group Delphi consensus, followed by a national Delphi consensus was performed in collaboration with British Skull Base Society (BSBS). Each Delphi round was repeated until data saturation and over 90% consensus was reached. / Results: Eighteen consultant skull base surgeons (10 neurosurgeons; 8 ENT) with median 17.9 years of experience (IQR 17.5 years) of independent practice participated. There was a 100% response rate across both Delphi rounds. The operative workflow for the retrosigmoid approach contained 3 phases and 40 unique steps: Phase 1: approach and exposure; Phase 2: tumour debulking and excision; Phase 3: closure. For the retrosigmoid approach, technique and event error for each operative step was also described. / Conclusions: We present Part 1 of a national, multi-centre, consensus-derived codified operative workflow for the retrosigmoid and approach to vestibular schwannomas that encompasses phases, steps, instruments, technique errors, and event errors. The codified retrosigmoid approach presented in this manuscript can serve as foundational research for future work, such as operative workflow analysis or neurosurgical simulation and education

Examining the ribonuclease H primer grip of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase by charge neutralization of RNA/DNA hybrids

The crystal structure of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) bound to an RNA/DNA hybrid reveals an extensive network of contacts with the phosphate backbone of the DNA strand ∼4–9 bp downstream from the ribonuclease H (RNase H) catalytic center. Collectively designated as ‘the RNase H primer grip’, this motif contains a phosphate binding pocket analogous to the human and Bacillus halodurans RNases H. The notion that the RNase H primer grip mediates the trajectory of RNA/DNA hybrids accessing the RNase H active site suggests that locally neutralizing the phosphate backbone may be exploited to manipulate nucleic acid flexibility. To examine this, we introduced single and tandem methylphosphonate substitutions through the region of the DNA primer contacted by the RNase H primer grip and into the RNase H catalytic center. The ability of mutant hybrids to support RNase H and DNA polymerase activity was thereafter examined. In addition, site-specific chemical footprinting was used to evaluate movement of the DNA polymerase and RNase H domains. We show here that minor alteration to the RNase H primer can have a dramatic effect on enzyme positioning, and discuss these findings in light of recent crystallography of human RNase H containing an RNA/DNA hybrid

Distinct phosphorylation requirements regulate cortactin activation by TirEPEC and its binding to N-WASP

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cortactin activates the actin-related 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex promoting actin polymerization to remodel cell architecture in multiple processes (e.g. cell migration, membrane trafficking, invadopodia formation etc.). Moreover, it was called the Achilles' heel of the actin cytoskeleton because many pathogens hijack signals that converge on this oncogenic scaffolding protein. Cortactin is able to modulate N-WASP activation <it>in vitro </it>in a phosphorylation-dependent fashion. Thus Erk-phosphorylated cortactin is efficient in activating N-WASP through its SH3 domain, while Src-phosphorylated cortactin is not. This could represent a switch on/off mechanism controlling the coordinated action of both nucleator promoting factors (NPFs). Pedestal formation by enteropathogenic <it>Escherichia coli </it>(EPEC) requires N-WASP activation. N-WASP is recruited by the cell adapter Nck which binds a major tyrosine-phosphorylated site of a bacterial injected effector, Tir (translocated intimin receptor). Tir-Nck-N-WASP axis defines the current major pathway to actin polymerization on pedestals. In addition, it was recently reported that EPEC induces tyrosine phosphorylation of cortactin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we demonstrate that cortactin phosphorylation is absent on N-WASP deficient cells, but is recovered by re-expression of N-WASP. We used purified recombinant cortactin and Tir proteins to demonstrate a direct interaction of both that promoted Arp2/3 complex-mediated actin polymerization <it>in vitro</it>, independently of cortactin phosphorylation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We propose that cortactin binds Tir through its N-terminal part in a tyrosine and serine phosphorylation independent manner while SH3 domain binding and activation of N-WASP is regulated by tyrosine and serine mediated phosphorylation of cortactin. Therefore cortactin could act on Tir-Nck-N-WASP pathway and control a possible cycling activity of N-WASP underlying pedestal formation.</p

Bacterial Effector Binding to Ribosomal Protein S3 Subverts NF-κB Function

Enteric bacterial pathogens cause food borne disease, which constitutes an enormous economic and health burden. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) causes a severe bloody diarrhea following transmission to humans through various means, including contaminated beef and vegetable products, water, or through contact with animals. EHEC also causes a potentially fatal kidney disease (hemolytic uremic syndrome) for which there is no effective treatment or prophylaxis. EHEC and other enteric pathogens (e.g., enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia) utilize a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject virulence proteins (effectors) into host cells. While it is known that T3SS effectors subvert host cell function to promote diarrheal disease and bacterial transmission, in many cases, the mechanisms by which these effectors bind to host proteins and disrupt the normal function of intestinal epithelial cells have not been completely characterized. In this study, we present evidence that the E. coli O157:H7 nleH1 and nleH2 genes encode T3SS effectors that bind to the human ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3), a subunit of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) transcriptional complexes. NleH1 and NleH2 co-localized with RPS3 in the cytoplasm, but not in cell nuclei. The N-terminal region of both NleH1 and NleH2 was required for binding to the N-terminus of RPS3. NleH1 and NleH2 are autophosphorylated Ser/Thr protein kinases, but their binding to RPS3 is independent of kinase activity. NleH1, but not NleH2, reduced the nuclear abundance of RPS3 without altering the p50 or p65 NF-κB subunits or affecting the phosphorylation state or abundance of the inhibitory NF-κB chaperone IκBα NleH1 repressed the transcription of a RPS3/NF-κB-dependent reporter plasmid, but did not inhibit the transcription of RPS3-independent reporters. In contrast, NleH2 stimulated RPS3-dependent transcription, as well as an AP-1-dependent reporter. We identified a region of NleH1 (N40-K45) that is at least partially responsible for the inhibitory activity of NleH1 toward RPS3. Deleting nleH1 from E. coli O157:H7 produced a hypervirulent phenotype in a gnotobiotic piglet model of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection. We suggest that NleH may disrupt host innate immune responses by binding to a cofactor of host transcriptional complexes