[HTML][HTML] Nod1 signaling overcomes resistance of S. pneumoniae to opsonophagocytic killing

ES Lysenko, TB Clarke, M Shchepetov… - PLoS …, 2007 - journals.plos.org
ES Lysenko, TB Clarke, M Shchepetov, AJ Ratner, DI Roper, CG Dowson, JN Weiser
PLoS pathogens, 2007journals.plos.org
Airway infection by the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) leads to
recruitment of neutrophils but limited bacterial killing by these cells. Co-colonization by Sp
and a Gram-negative species, Haemophilus influenzae (Hi), provides sufficient stimulus to
induce neutrophil and complement-mediated clearance of Sp from the mucosal surface in a
murine model. Products from Hi, but not Sp, also promote killing of Sp by ex vivo neutrophil-
enriched peritoneal exudate cells. Here we identify the stimulus from Hi as its peptidoglycan …
Airway infection by the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) leads to recruitment of neutrophils but limited bacterial killing by these cells. Co-colonization by Sp and a Gram-negative species, Haemophilus influenzae (Hi), provides sufficient stimulus to induce neutrophil and complement-mediated clearance of Sp from the mucosal surface in a murine model. Products from Hi, but not Sp, also promote killing of Sp by ex vivo neutrophil-enriched peritoneal exudate cells. Here we identify the stimulus from Hi as its peptidoglycan. Enhancement of opsonophagocytic killing was facilitated by signaling through nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-1 (Nod1), which is involved in recognition of γ-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelic acid (meso-DAP) contained in cell walls of Hi but not Sp. Neutrophils from mice treated with Hi or compounds containing meso-DAP, including synthetic peptidoglycan fragments, showed increased Sp killing in a Nod1-dependent manner. Moreover, Nod1−/− mice showed reduced Hi-induced clearance of Sp during co-colonization. These observations offer insight into mechanisms of microbial competition and demonstrate the importance of Nod1 in neutrophil-mediated clearance of bacteria in vivo.
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