Shigella species cause diarrhea and dysentery in humans by infecting the colon. Pathogenesis depends on regulated interactions between the host and pathogen. Whereas identification and characterization of Shigella virulence proteins has advanced considerably, it has been more challenging to identify host proteins that participate in infection. During the current funding period, we defined the roles of several host proteins in S. flexneri pathogenesis and identified dozens of other host proteins in broad-based screens designed to discover host genes that promote S. flexneri infection. Our goal is to continue to build on these discoveries by conducting in depth investigations into how a two of these host proteins function in Shigella pathogenesis. 1. Analyze the topology, organization, and function of the translocon pore relevant to S. flexneri docking and effector translocation. We discovered that docking of the T3SS needle apparatus onto the membrane-embedded translocon pore depends on interaction of the pore protein IpaC with cellular intermediate filaments, yet pore formation per se is independent of this interaction. Based on these findings, we are now able to allow pore formation while preventing docking of bacteria, thereby enabling us to (1) map the topology, symmetry, and stoichioletry of the translocon pore proteins upon delivery by the T3SS, (2) define the relative positions of and interactions between the two translocon proteins in membrane-embedded helices, (3) test our postulate that C-terminal sequences in IpaC enter the interior of the pore, and (4) investigate how interaction of intermediate filaments with IpaC enables docking of the needle on the pore. 2. Determine the function of NLRP11 in responses of human macrophages to S. flexneri infection. Whereas some NLRP proteins are constituents of inflammasomes, NLRP11 has no known function. Our data show that NLRP11 is required for efficient cell death induced by S. flexneri infection and by cytosolic LPS (cLPS). cLPS triggers the activation of an inflammasome that contains caspases-4 and 5, for which no NLRP or other sensor molecule has been identified. Because LPS binds caspases-4 and 5 directly in vitro, it has been postulated that the cLPS inflammasome may not require an NLRP or sensor molecule. Based on our data, we hypothesize that NLRP11 functions as a sensor molecule for the cLPS inflammasome pathway. We will test this hypothesis using a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches to (1) determine the function of NLRP11 in macrophage responses to S. flexneri and cLPS, (2) determine whether acylation state of LPS, which modulates innate immune responses to S. flexneri, modulates NLRP11 recognition and/or signaling, and (3) define the breadth of human pathogens that trigger NLRP11-dependent responses.

Public Health Relevance

Bacteria that cause infections in humans exploit human cellular factors to promote disease. We have identified human factors that are used by Shigella, a bacterium that causes severe diarrhea, and propose to investigate how these factors contribute to disease. Understanding these processes will potentially reveal new avenues for treatments.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI081724-08
Application #
9737819
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Mills, Melody
Project Start
2010-01-01
Project End
2022-06-30
Budget Start
2019-07-01
Budget End
2020-06-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts General Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
073130411
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02114
Miller, Kelly A; Garza-Mayers, Anna Cristina; Leung, Yiuka et al. (2018) Identification of interactions among host and bacterial proteins and evaluation of their role early during Shigella flexneri infection. Microbiology 164:540-550
Russo, Brian C; Stamm, Luisa M; Raaben, Matthijs et al. (2016) Intermediate filaments enable pathogen docking to trigger type 3 effector translocation. Nat Microbiol 1:16025
Lee, Soo Young; Gertler, Frank B; Goldberg, Marcia B (2015) Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein restricts cell-to-cell spread of Shigella flexneri at the cell periphery. Microbiology 161:2149-60
Garza-Mayers, Anna Cristina; Miller, Kelly A; Russo, Brian C et al. (2015) Shigella flexneri regulation of ARF6 activation during bacterial entry via an IpgD-mediated positive feedback loop. MBio 6:e02584
Lu, Richard; Herrera, Bobby Brooke; Eshleman, Heather D et al. (2015) Shigella Effector OspB Activates mTORC1 in a Manner That Depends on IQGAP1 and Promotes Cell Proliferation. PLoS Pathog 11:e1005200
Yi, Chae-ryun; Allen, John E; Russo, Brian et al. (2014) Systematic analysis of bacterial effector-postsynaptic density 95/disc large/zonula occludens-1 (PDZ) domain interactions demonstrates Shigella OspE protein promotes protein kinase C activation via PDLIM proteins. J Biol Chem 289:30101-13
Baxt, Leigh A; Goldberg, Marcia B (2014) Host and bacterial proteins that repress recruitment of LC3 to Shigella early during infection. PLoS One 9:e94653
Baxt, Leigh A; Garza-Mayers, Anna Cristina; Goldberg, Marcia B (2013) Bacterial subversion of host innate immune pathways. Science 340:697-701
Huett, Alan; Heath, Robert J; Begun, Jakob et al. (2012) The LRR and RING domain protein LRSAM1 is an E3 ligase crucial for ubiquitin-dependent autophagy of intracellular Salmonella Typhimurium. Cell Host Microbe 12:778-90
Jehl, Stephanie P; Doling, Amy M; Giddings, Kara S et al. (2011) Antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells fail to respond to Shigella flexneri. Infect Immun 79:2021-30

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