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Bacterial cytokine antagonists encoded by pathogenic yersiniae
H U Beuscher1, S Burdack, M Röllinghoff
1Institut für Klinische Mikrobiologie und Immunologie, Universität Erlangen/Nürnberg, Germany.
Behring Institute Mitteilungen
|February 1, 1997
Summary
Yersinia outer protein B (YopB) suppresses tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) to promote bacterial survival. Blocking YopB enhances TNF alpha, aiding bacterial clearance from Peyer
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Infectious Disease
Background:
- Proinflammatory cytokines, like tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), are crucial for antibacterial defense.
- Pathogenic Yersinia species' virulence may involve suppressing local cytokine responses.
- Yersinia outer protein B (YopB) is linked to reduced TNF alpha in Peyer's Patches (PP) after Yersinia enterocolitica infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between YopB-mediated TNF alpha suppression and bacterial survival.
- To assess YopB's role in Yersinia enterocolitica pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Assessed purified YopB's effect on macrophage TNF alpha release.
- Administered anti-YopB treatment to orally infected mice.
- Measured bacterial recovery from Peyer's Patches (PP) using RT-PCR and TNF activity assays.
- Evaluated combined anti-YopB and anti-TNF alpha antiserum treatment effects.
Main Results:
- Purified YopB inhibited TNF alpha release from macrophages.
- Anti-YopB treatment in mice significantly reduced Y. enterocolitica recovery from PP.
- This reduction correlated with increased TNF alpha expression and activity.
- Combined anti-YopB and anti-TNF alpha treatment negated the protective effect of anti-YopB alone.
- Other cytokines like IL-1 were unaffected.
Conclusions:
- Endogenous TNF alpha is essential for eradicating Y. enterocolitica from host tissues.
- YopB plays a significant role in suppressing the local TNF alpha response in Peyer's Patches.
- Targeting YopB could be a therapeutic strategy against Yersinia infections.