Phosphorylation, ubiquitination and degradation of listeriolysin O in mammalian cells: role of the PEST-like sequence

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen that grows within the cytosol of infected host cells. Entry into the cytosol is largely mediated by a secreted bacterial cytolysin, listeriolysin O (LLO). In order to prevent host cell damage, the pore-forming activity of LLO is restricted to the phagosome. Compartmentalization of LLO requires a PEST-like sequence; PEST sequences can direct eukaryotic proteins for proteasomal degradation. Here we test the hypothesis that LLO's PEST-like sequence compartmentalizes pore-forming activity by targeting this bacterial protein for degradation in the host cytosol. We show that intracellular LLO was degraded in a proteasome-dependent manner, and that, prior to degradation, LLO was ubiquitinated and was phosphorylated within the PEST-like sequence. However, wild-type LLO and PEST region mutants had similarly short intracellular half-lives and both the wild-type and mutant proteins were stabilized by inhibitors of host proteasomes. Additionally, blocking host proteasomes did not cause toxicity in a wild-type infection, but enhanced the cytotoxicity of PEST region mutants. Together with the observation that PEST region mutants exhibit higher intracellular LLO levels than wild-type bacteria, these data suggest that LLO's PEST-like region does not mediate proteasomal degradation by the host, but controls LLO production in the cytosol.     

Listeriolysin O: a key protein of Listeria monocytogenes with multiple functions

Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) are produced by a large number of pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria. Most of these single-chain proteins are secreted in the extracellular medium. Among the species producing CDCs, only two species belonging to the genus Listeria (Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria ivanovii) are able to multiply intracellularly and release their toxins in the phagosomal compartment of the infected host cell. This review provides an updated overview on the importance of listeriolysin O (LLO) in the pathogenicity of L. monocytogenes, focusing mainly on two aspects: (1) the structure-function relationship of LLO and (2) its role in intra- and extracellular signalling. We first examine the specific sequence determinants, or protein domains, that make this cytolysin so well adapted to the intracellular lifestyle of L. monocytogenes. The roles that LLO has in cellular signalling events in the context of relations to pathogenesis are also discussed.     

李斯特菌溶血素基因的原核表达及其生物学特性

李斯特菌溶血素(LLO)是产单核细胞李斯特菌的主要毒力因子,利用PCR技术从血清型4b的产单核细胞李斯特菌菌株中扩增出编码LLO的hly基因,经克隆筛选和测序鉴定后,构建成该基因的原核表达质粒pGEX6P1hly,SDSPAGE结果表明：LLO与谷胱甘肽在大肠杆菌中已融合表达,融合蛋白的分子量为82kD;溶血实验证明融合蛋白具有较强的裂解真核细胞膜的作用,表明表达产物LLO具有生物活性,其溶血效价达2.26×101.4 HU/mg,这为进一步研究其致病与免疫机理、单抗研制和疫苗设计提供了条件。     

单增李斯特菌溶血素(LLO)的原核表达及其生物学活性鉴定

利用生物软件设计单增李斯特菌溶血素蛋白的基因hly的引物,通过PCR扩增hly基因,并将其克隆至PET28a(+)原核表达载体,转化大肠杆菌BL21进行优化表达。用镍柱纯化表达产物LLO,通过免疫印记鉴定其免疫原性,并通过溶血实验鉴定其溶血活性。琼脂糖凝胶电泳结果表明PCR扩增出1 590 bp的片段,经测序鉴定其序列同源性可达99%。SDS-PAGE结果表明诱导表达的产物大小约为58 kD,其最优化的表达条件是28°C下用0.1 mmol/L IPTG诱导6 h。Western blotting结果表明重组表达的LLO具有免疫原性;溶血实验表明重组表达的LLO具有较强的溶血活性,其溶血效价可达1:1 024。这为制备针对单增李斯特菌的单克隆抗体及其检测方法的建立奠定了基础。     

Identification of a PEST-like motif in listeriolysin O required for phagosomal escape and for virulence in Listeria monocytogenes

The hly-encoded listeriolysin O (LLO) is a major virulence factor secreted by the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which plays a crucial role in the escape of bacteria from the phagosomal compartment. Here, we identify a putative PEST sequence close to the N-terminus of LLO and focus on the role of this motif in the biological activities of LLO. Two LLO variants were constructed: a deletion mutant protein, lacking the 19 residues comprising this sequence (residues 32-50), and a recombinant protein of wild-type size, in which all the P, E, S or T residues within this motif have been substituted. The two mutant proteins were fully haemolytic and were secreted in culture supernatants of L. monocytogenes in quantities comparable with that of the wild-type protein. Strikingly, both mutants failed to restore virulence to a hly-negative strain in vivo. In vitro assays showed that L. monocytogenes expressing the LLO deletion mutant was strongly impaired in its ability to escape from the phagosomal vacuole and, subsequently, to divide in the cytosol of infected cells. This work reveals for the first time that the N-terminal portion of LLO plays an important role in the development of the infectious process of L. monocytogenes.     

Purification and characterization of a recombinant listeriolysin O expressed in Escherichia coli and possible diagnostic applications

The secreted pore-forming toxin listeriolysin O (LLO) is an essential virulence factor that allows the food-borne bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes to escape from the phagocytic vacuole and reach the host cytosol. This protein belongs to the group of cholesterol-binding sulfhydryl-activated toxins, expressed by a large number of Gram-positive bacteria. A protocol for large-scale expression and purification of recombinant LLO was previously optimized. By a simple two-step purification method, we achieved a high-level LLO synthesis (4.5 mg l(-1) of cell culture) in a hemolytically active form (1.2 x 10(6) HU mg(-1) of protein). This procedure can solve the problem of LLO isolation from L. monocytogenes cultures which is a difficult task, mainly owing to the low levels of toxin released in the culture media. Here we report the characterization of toxin properties and its preliminary application in an ELISA diagnostic test for listeriosis.     

Listeriolysin O-dependent activation of endothelial cells during infection with Listeria monocytogenes: activation of NF-kappa B and upregulation of adhesion molecules and chemokines

The facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is an invasive pathogen that crosses the vascular endothelium and disseminates to the placenta and the central nervous system. Its interaction with endothelial cells is crucial for the pathogenesis of listeriosis. By infecting in vitro human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with L. monocytogenes, we found that wild-type bacteria induced the expression of the adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and E-selectin), chemokine secretion (IL-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1) and NF-kappa B nuclear translocation. The activation of HUVEC required viable bacteria and was abolished in prfA-deficient mutants of L. monocytogenes, suggesting that virulence genes are associated with endothelial cell activation. Using a genetic approach with mutants of virulence genes, we found that listeriolysin O (LLO)-deficient mutants inactivated in the hly gene did not induce HUVEC activation, as opposed to mutants inactivated in the other virulence genes. Adhesion molecule expression, chemokine secretion and NF-kappa B activation were fully restored by a strain of Listeria innocua transformed with the hly gene encoding LLO. The relevance in vivo of endothelial cell activation for listerial pathogenesis was investigated in transgenic mice carrying an NF-kappa B-responsive lacZ reporter gene. NF-kappa B activation was visualized by a strong lacZ expression in endothelial cells of capillaries of mice infected with a virulent haemolytic strain, but was not seen in those infected with a non-haemolytic isogenic mutant. Direct evidence that LLO is involved in NF-kappa B activation in transgenic mice was provided by injecting intravenously purified LLO, thus inducing stimulation of NF-kappa B in endothelial cells of blood capillaries. Our results demonstrate that functional listeriolysin O secreted by bacteria contributes as a potent inflammatory stimulus to inducing endothelial cell activation during the infectious process.     

Dependency of caspase-1 activation induced in macrophages by Listeria monocytogenes on cytolysin, listeriolysin O, after evasion from phagosome into the cytoplasm

Listeriolysin O (LLO), an hly-encoded cytolysin from Listeria monocytogenes, plays an essential role in the entry of this pathogen into the macrophage cytoplasm and is also a key factor in inducing the production of IFN-gamma during the innate immune stage of infection. In this study, we examined the involvement of LLO in macrophage production of the IFN-gamma-inducing cytokines IL-12 and IL-18. Significant levels of IL-12 and IL-18 were produced by macrophages upon infection with wild-type L. monocytogenes, whereas an LLO-deficient mutant (the L. monocytogenes Deltahly) lacked the ability to induce IL-18 production. Complementation of Deltahly with hly completely restored the ability. However, when Deltahly was complemented with ilo encoding ivanolysin O (ILO), a cytolysin highly homologous with LLO, such a restoration was not observed, although ILO-expressing L. monocytogenes invaded and multiplied in the macrophage cytoplasm similarly as LLO-expressing L. monocytogenes. Induction of IL-18 was diminished when pretreated with a caspase-1 inhibitor or in macrophages from caspase-1-deficient mice, suggesting the activation of caspase-1 as a key event resulting in IL-18 production. Activation of caspase-1 was induced in macrophages infected with LLO-expressing L. monocytogenes but not in those with Deltahly. A complete restoration of such an activity could not be observed even after complementation with the ILO gene. These results show that the LLO molecule is involved in the activation of caspase-1, which is essential for IL-18 production in infected macrophages, and suggest that some sequence unique to LLO is indispensable for some signaling event resulting in the caspase-1 activation induced by L. monocytogenes.     

Role of bacterial hemolysin production in induction of macrophage Ia expression during infection with Listeria monocytogenes

The production of a hemolytic exotoxin (Hly) termed listeriolysin O (LLO) is a major determinant of the virulence of the Gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. As determined by lethal inoculum size, LLO- strains of L. monocytogenes generally are several orders of magnitude less virulent than their LLO+ counterparts. The generation of protective anti-Listeria T cell immunity also has been shown to depend on the LLO phenotype of the bacteria present during primary infection, although the cellular basis of this observation is not known. The experiments described here address the role of LLO in regulation of the expression of class II MHC (Ia) molecules by murine macrophages. Because Ia expression by macrophages and other APC is thought to be a central factor in the generation of T cells specific for bacterial Ag, we have tested the hypothesis that the failure of LLO- strains to elicit anti-Listeria T cell responses might be secondary to an inability of these strains to stimulate increases in macrophage Ia levels. Our results show that the macrophage Ia response after i.p. injection of L. monocytogenes correlates strongly with the LLO phenotype of the bacteria. The presence of LLO+ organisms, even at very small numbers (as few as 10), elicits a striking increase in Ia expression by peritoneal macrophages. In contrast, even at very high numbers (up to 10(6) per mouse), LLO- bacteria fail to stimulate a strong Ia response. We also have analyzed macrophage Ia expression after injection of lysates of Escherichia coli expressing recombinant LLO protein. Similar to the results obtained with LLO+ and LLO- L. monocytogenes, we have observed Ia induction only with LLO+ lysates. Ia induction by this crude recombinant LLO preparation can be inhibited by cholesterol or heat. Furthermore, supernatants derived from cultures of LLO+ (but not LLO-) L. monocytogenes can cause Ia induction when administered via i.p. injection. Taken together, these findings suggest that the failure of macrophages to respond to LLO- organisms with an increase in Ia expression may be a major underlying cause of the failure of these bacteria to induce Listeria-specific protective T cell immunity. Furthermore, we propose that the induction of macrophage Ia expression in response to bacterial toxins such as Hly may represent one component of a set of early, innate immune mechanisms, and that this induction may provide a critical "bridge" to later, acquired, Ag-specific immune processes.     

Listeria monocytogenes listeriolysin O and phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C affect adherence to epithelial cells

Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborn intracellular animal and human pathogen, produces several exotoxins contributing to virulence. Among these are listeriolysin O (LLO), a pore-forming cholesterol-dependent hemolysin, and a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). LLO is known to play an important role in the escape of bacteria from the primary phagocytic vacuole of macrophages, and PI-PLC supports this process. Evidence is accumulating that LLO and PI-PLC are multifunctional virulence factors with many important roles in the host-parasite interaction other than phagosomal membrane disruption. LLO and PI-PLC may induce a number of host cell responses by modulating signal transduction of infected cells via intracellular Ca2+ levels and the metabolism of phospholipids. This would result in the activation of host phospholipase C and protein kinase C. In the present study, using Bacillus sub tilis strains expressing LLO, PI-PLC, and simultaneously LLO and PI-PLC, we show that LLO and PI-PLC enhance bacterial binding to epithelial cells Int407, with LLO being necessary and PI-PLC playing an accessory role. The results of this work suggest that these two listerial proteins act on epithelial cells prior to internalization.     

The pore-forming toxin listeriolysin O mediates a novel entry pathway of L. monocytogenes into human hepatocytes

Intracellular pathogens have evolved diverse strategies to invade and survive within host cells. Among the most studied facultative intracellular pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes is known to express two invasins-InlA and InlB-that induce bacterial internalization into nonphagocytic cells. The pore-forming toxin listeriolysin O (LLO) facilitates bacterial escape from the internalization vesicle into the cytoplasm, where bacteria divide and undergo cell-to-cell spreading via actin-based motility. In the present study we demonstrate that in addition to InlA and InlB, LLO is required for efficient internalization of L. monocytogenes into human hepatocytes (HepG2). Surprisingly, LLO is an invasion factor sufficient to induce the internalization of noninvasive Listeria innocua or polystyrene beads into host cells in a dose-dependent fashion and at the concentrations produced by L. monocytogenes. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying LLO-induced bacterial entry, we constructed novel LLO derivatives locked at different stages of the toxin assembly on host membranes. We found that LLO-induced bacterial or bead entry only occurs upon LLO pore formation. Scanning electron and fluorescence microscopy studies show that LLO-coated beads stimulate the formation of membrane extensions that ingest the beads into an early endosomal compartment. This LLO-induced internalization pathway is dynamin-and F-actin-dependent, and clathrin-independent. Interestingly, further linking pore formation to bacteria/bead uptake, LLO induces F-actin polymerization in a tyrosine kinase-and pore-dependent fashion. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that a bacterial pathogen perforates the host cell plasma membrane as a strategy to activate the endocytic machinery and gain entry into the host cell.     

Listeriolysin O: a phagosome-specific lysin

Listeriolysin O (LLO) is a pore-forming toxin of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin family and a primary virulence factor of the gram-positive, facultative intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. During the intracellular life cycle of L. monocytogenes, LLO is largely responsible for mediating rupture of the phagosomal membrane, thereby allowing the bacterium access to the host cytosol, its replicative niche. In the host cytosol, LLO activity is controlled at numerous levels to prevent perforation of the plasma membrane and loss of the intracellular environment. In this review, we focus primarily on the role of LLO in phagosomal escape and the multiple regulatory mechanisms that control LLO activity in the host cytosol.     

Sec16p potentiates the action of COPII proteins to bud transport vesicles

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen that escapes from a phagosome and grows in the host cell cytosol. The pore-forming cholesterol-dependent cytolysin, listeriolysin O (LLO), mediates bacterial escape from vesicles and is approximately 10-fold more active at an acidic than neutral pH. By swapping dissimilar residues from a pH-insensitive orthologue, perfringolysin O (PFO), we identified leucine 461 as unique to pathogenic Listeria and responsible for the acidic pH optimum of LLO. Conversion of leucine 461 to the threonine present in PFO increased the hemolytic activity of LLO almost 10-fold at a neutral pH. L. monocytogenes synthesizing LLO L461T, expressed from its endogenous site on the bacterial chromosome, resulted in a 100-fold virulence defect in the mouse listeriosis model. These bacteria escaped from acidic phagosomes and initially grew normally in cells and spread cell to cell, but prematurely permeabilized the host membrane and killed the cell. These data show that the acidic pH optimum of LLO results from an adaptive mutation that acts to limit cytolytic activity to acidic vesicles and prevent damage in the host cytosol, a strategy also used by host cells to compartmentalize lysosomal hydrolases.     

单增李斯特菌溶血素O的PEST序列激活ERK1/2磷酸化的作用

[目的]本研究旨在构建单核细胞增多性李斯特菌(Listeria monocytogenes,简称单增李斯特菌)溶血素O(Listeriolysin O,LLO)的关键结构域PEST序列(包含S44、S48和T51关键磷酸化位点)突变体,并针对其生物学功能展开研究。[方法]以李斯特菌参考菌株EGD-e为模板扩增编码LLO的hly基因,克隆至pET30a(+)原核表达载体,在此基础上利用氨基酸突变技术获得表达PEST突变体(LLO△PEST、LLOS44A、LLOS48A和LLOT51A)的重组质粒,转入E.coli Rosetta感受态细胞中,诱导表达重组蛋白经镍离子亲和层析纯化后进行SDS-PAGE分析。利用红细胞裂解试验检测重组蛋白的溶血活性,并通过Western blotting检测重组突变蛋白刺激Caco-2细胞后对MAPK关键信号分子ERK1/2磷酸化水平变化的影响。[结果]结果显示,本研究成功获得重组LLO及其突变体蛋白LLO△PEST、LLOS44A、LLOS48A和LLOT51A。在pH5.5和7.4条件下,LLO△PEST、LLOS44A、LLOS48A和LLOT51A均具有和LLO相当的溶血活性,说明PEST序列缺失或突变并不影响LLO的膜裂解活性。研究进一步发现,重组LLO及其突变蛋白刺激Caco-2细胞后均能激活ERK1/2的磷酸化。[结论]研究表明LLO的关键结构域PEST序列对于维持该蛋白的膜裂解能力及穿孔活性并非必需,且该结构域的缺失不影响李斯特菌在感染宿主时依赖LLO介导ERK1/2磷酸化的生物学过程。本研究将为进一步探索细菌感染过程中PEST序列对于LLO发挥生物学功能的潜在作用及分子机制奠定基础。     

Listeriolysin O suppresses phospholipase C-mediated activation of the microbicidal NADPH oxidase to promote Listeria monocytogenes infection

The intracellular bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes produces phospholipases C (PI-PLC and PC-PLC) and the pore-forming cytolysin listeriolysin O (LLO) to escape the phagosome and replicate within the host cytosol. We found that PLCs can also activate the phagocyte NADPH oxidase during L.?monocytogenes infection, a response that would adversely affect pathogen survival. However, secretion of LLO inhibits the NADPH oxidase by preventing its localization to phagosomes. LLO-deficient bacteria can be complemented by perfringolysin O,?a related cytolysin, suggesting that other pathogens may also use pore-forming cytolysins to inhibit the NADPH oxidase. Our studies demonstrate that while the PLCs induce antimicrobial NADPH oxidase activity, this effect is alleviated by the pore-forming activity of LLO. Therefore, the combined activities of PLCs and LLO on membrane lysis and the inhibitory effects of LLO on NADPH oxidase activity allow L.?monocytogenes to efficiently escape the phagosome while avoiding the microbicidal respiratory burst.     

Listeria monocytogenes virulence proteins induce surface expression of Fas ligand on T lymphocytes

Virulence factors secreted by Listeria monocytogenes are known to interfere with host cellular signalling pathways. We investigated whether L. monocytogenes modulates T-cell receptor signalling by examining surface expression of proteins known to be upregulated on activated T cells. In vitro culture of murine splenocytes with L. monocytogenes resulted in a specific and dose-dependent upregulation of Fas ligand (FasL). Induction of FasL expression was also observed for pathogenic Listeria ivanovii but not for non-pathogenic Listeria innocua, indicating involvement of Listeria virulence protein(s). Examination of L. monocytogenes strains deficient in different virulence genes demonstrated that FasL upregulation was dependent on the expression of two secreted proteins: listeriolysin O (LLO) and phosphatidylcholine-preferring phospholipase C (PC-PLC). Treatment of cells with purified proteins demonstrated that LLO was sufficient for inducing FasL, while PC-PLC synergized with LLO for the induction of FasL expression. FasL-expressing cells induced by L. monocytogenes were capable of killing Fas-expressing target cells. Furthermore, L. monocytogenes infection results in upregulation of FasL on T cells in mice. These results describe a novel function for LLO and PC-PLC and suggest that L. monocytogenes may use these virulence factors to modulate the host immune response.     

Defensins enable macrophages to inhibit the intracellular proliferation of Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen that infects a large diversity of host cells, including macrophages. To avoid the phagosome microbicidal environment, L. monocytogenes secretes a pore-forming toxin (listeriolysin O, LLO) that releases the bacterium into the cytoplasm. We hypothesized that the α-defensins (HNPs) and/or humanized θ-defensin (RC-1) peptides produced by human and non-human primate neutrophils, respectively, cooperate with macrophages to control L. monocytogenes infection. Our results establish that HNP-1 and RC-1 enable macrophages to control L. monocytogenes intracellular growth by inhibiting phagosomal escape, as a consequence, bacteria remain trapped in a LAMP-1-positive phagosome. Importantly, HNP-1 interaction with macrophages and RC-1 interaction with bacteria are required to prevent macrophage infection. In accordance with these results, RC-1 is a more potent anti-listerial peptide than HNP-1 and HNP-1 is acquired by macrophages and trafficked to the phagocytosed bacteria. Finally, HNP-1 and RC-1 antimicrobial activity is complemented by their ability to prevent LLO function through two mechanisms, blocking LLO-dependent perforation of macrophage membranes and the release of LLO from the bacteria. In conclusion, at the site of infection the cooperation between antimicrobial peptides, such as HNP-1, and macrophages likely plays a critical role in the innate immune defence against L. monocytogenes.     

A bacterial pore-forming toxin forms aggregates in cells that resemble those associated with neurodegenerative diseases

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial, facultative intracellular pathogen, which secretes a pore-forming toxin called listeriolysin O (LLO). LLO mediates the dissolution of the phagosomal membrane allowing L. monocytogenes to reach and grow in the host cytosolic compartment. In this study we report the localization of LLO secreted in infected cells. We described that LLO (i) forms small perinuclear aggregates, (ii) accumulates in large autophagosome-like structures and (iii) sequesters to large protein aggregates. The formation of protein aggregates required full LLO activity. Further characterization of protein aggregates indicated that they not only contained the active form of LLO but also polyubiquitinated proteins and p62, which are both common components of protein aggregates found in neurological diseases. Hence, a protein of bacterial origin could potentially follow the same fate as a toxic protein associated with neurodegenerative disease.     

Efficacy of a Lactococcus lactis ΔpyrG vaccine delivery platform expressing chromosomally integrated hly from Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a significant food-borne pathogen and the causative agent of listeriosis, a disease which manifests as meningitis in immunocompromised adults or infection of the fetus and miscarriage in pregnant women. We have previously used Lactococcus lactis, a GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) organism, as a vaccine vector against listeriosis by engineering plasmid-mediated expression of the immunodominant antigen from L. monocytogenes, listeriolysin O (LLO). However, the environmental release of an engineered vaccine vector carrying a replicating plasmid during clinical usage may raise safety concerns. Here we describe the integration of the LLO gene (hly) into the L. lactis chromosome through homologous double crossover to allow stable expression, in order to avoid the use of antibiotic selection markers and to eliminate the requirement for a plasmid-based system. The approach was designed to simultaneously eliminate the pyrG gene encoding the CTP synthase which is responsible for converting UTP to CTP in a unique step in the de novo pyrimidine synthesis in L. lactis. This gene was targeted in order to restrict bacterial replication outside of the host (biological containment). The resulting cytidine auxotroph was able to secrete LLO constitutively and could elicit LLO(91-99)-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes in the murine infection model. Moreover, protection against lethal challenge with L. monocytogenes was accomplished after intraperitoneal (IP) vaccination with the constructed strain. The implications for the use of cytidine auxotropy in biological containment are discussed.