Anthrax Lethal Factor Cleaves Mouse Nlrp1b in Both Toxin-Sensitive and Toxin-Resistant Macrophages

Anthrax lethal factor (LF) is the protease component of anthrax lethal toxin (LT). LT induces pyroptosis in macrophages of certain inbred mouse and rat strains, while macrophages from other inbred strains are resistant to the toxin. In rats, the sensitivity of macrophages to toxin-induced cell death is determined by the presence of an LF cleavage sequence in the inflammasome sensor Nlrp1. LF cleaves rat Nlrp1 of toxin-sensitive macrophages, activating caspase-1 and inducing cell death. Toxin-resistant macrophages, however, express Nlrp1 proteins which do not harbor the LF cleavage site. We report here that mouse Nlrp1b proteins are also cleaved by LF. In contrast to the situation in rats, sensitivity and resistance of Balb/cJ and NOD/LtJ macrophages does not correlate to the susceptibility of their Nlrp1b proteins to cleavage by LF, as both proteins are cleaved. Two LF cleavage sites, at residues 38 and 44, were identified in mouse Nlrp1b. Our results suggest that the resistance of NOD/LtJ macrophages to LT, and the inability of the Nlrp1b protein expressed in these cells to be activated by the toxin are likely due to polymorphisms other than those at the LF cleavage sites.     

Anthrax Lethal Factor Cleavage of Nlrp1 Is Required for Activation of the Inflammasome

NOD-like receptor (NLR) proteins (Nlrps) are cytosolic sensors responsible for detection of pathogen and danger-associated molecular patterns through unknown mechanisms. Their activation in response to a wide range of intracellular danger signals leads to formation of the inflammasome, caspase-1 activation, rapid programmed cell death (pyroptosis) and maturation of IL-1β and IL-18. Anthrax lethal toxin (LT) induces the caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis of mouse and rat macrophages isolated from certain inbred rodent strains through activation of the NOD-like receptor (NLR) Nlrp1 inflammasome. Here we show that LT cleaves rat Nlrp1 and this cleavage is required for toxin-induced inflammasome activation, IL-1 β release, and macrophage pyroptosis. These results identify both a previously unrecognized mechanism of activation of an NLR and a new, physiologically relevant protein substrate of LT.     

Inflammasome sensor Nlrp1b-dependent resistance to anthrax is mediated by caspase-1, IL-1 signaling and neutrophil recruitment

Bacillus anthracis infects hosts as a spore, germinates, and disseminates in its vegetative form. Production of anthrax lethal and edema toxins following bacterial outgrowth results in host death. Macrophages of inbred mouse strains are either sensitive or resistant to lethal toxin depending on whether they express the lethal toxin responsive or non-responsive alleles of the inflammasome sensor Nlrp1b (Nlrp1b(S/S) or Nlrp1b(R/R), respectively). In this study, Nlrp1b was shown to affect mouse susceptibility to infection. Inbred and congenic mice harboring macrophage-sensitizing Nlrp1b(S/S) alleles (which allow activation of caspase-1 and IL-1β release in response to anthrax lethal toxin challenge) effectively controlled bacterial growth and dissemination when compared to mice having Nlrp1b(R/R) alleles (which cannot activate caspase-1 in response to toxin). Nlrp1b(S)-mediated resistance to infection was not dependent on the route of infection and was observed when bacteria were introduced by either subcutaneous or intravenous routes. Resistance did not occur through alterations in spore germination, as vegetative bacteria were also killed in Nlrp1b(S/S) mice. Resistance to infection required the actions of both caspase-1 and IL-1β as Nlrp1b(S/S) mice deleted of caspase-1 or the IL-1 receptor, or treated with the Il-1 receptor antagonist anakinra, were sensitized to infection. Comparison of circulating neutrophil levels and IL-1β responses in Nlrp1b(S/S),Nlrp1b(R/) (R) and IL-1 receptor knockout mice implicated Nlrp1b and IL-1 signaling in control of neutrophil responses to anthrax infection. Neutrophil depletion experiments verified the importance of this cell type in resistance to B. anthracis infection. These data confirm an inverse relationship between murine macrophage sensitivity to lethal toxin and mouse susceptibility to spore infection, and establish roles for Nlrp1b(S), caspase-1, and IL-1β in countering anthrax infection.     

Anthrax lethal toxin activates the inflammasome in sensitive rat macrophages

Anthrax lethal toxin (LT) is an important virulence factor for Bacillus anthracis. In mice, LT lyses macrophages from certain inbred strains in less than 2 h by activating the Nlrp1b inflammasome and caspase-1, while macrophages from other strains remain resistant to the toxin’s effects. We analyzed LT effects in toxin-sensitive and resistant rat macrophages to test if a similar pathway was involved in rat macrophage death. LT activates caspase-1 in rat macrophages from strains harboring LT-sensitive macrophages in a manner similar to that in toxin-sensitive murine macrophages. This activation of caspase-1 is dependent on proteasome activity, and sensitive macrophages are protected from LT’s lytic effects by lactacystin. Proteasome inhibition also delayed the death of rats in response to LT, confirming our previous data implicating the rat Nlrp1 inflammasome in animal death. Quinidine, caspase-1 inhibitors, the cathepsin B inhibitor CA-074Me, and heat shock also protected rat macrophages from LT toxicity. These data support the existence of an active functioning LT-responsive Nlrp1 inflammasome in rat macrophages. The activation of the rat Nlrp1 inflammasome is required for LT-mediated rat macrophage lysis and contributes to animal death.     

Nedd8 Regulates Inflammasome-Dependent Caspase-1 Activation

Caspase-1 is activated by the inflammasome complex to process cytokines like interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Pro-caspase-1 consists of three domains, CARD, p20, and p10. Association of pro-caspase-1 with the inflammasome results in initiation of its autocatalytic activity, culminating in self-cleavage that generates catalytically active subunits (p10 and p20). In the current study, we show that Nedd8 is required for efficient self-cleavage of pro-caspase-1 to generate its catalytically active subunits. Nedd8 silencing or treating cells with the neddylation inhibitor MLN4924 led to diminished caspase-1 processing and reduced IL-1β maturation following inflammasome activation. Coimmunoprecipitation and mass spectrometric analysis of 293 cells overexpressing pro-caspase-1 (and CARD) and Nedd8 suggested possible neddylation of caspase-1 CARD. Following inflammasome activation in primary macrophages, we observed colocalization of endogenous Nedd8 with caspase-1. Similarly, interaction of endogenous Nedd8 with caspase-1 CARD was detected in inflammasome-activated macrophages. Furthermore, enhanced autocatalytic activity of pro-caspase-1 was observed following Nedd8 overexpression in 293 cells, and such activity in inflammasome-activated macrophages was drastically diminished upon treatment of cells with MLN4924. Thus, our studies demonstrate a role of Nedd8 in regulating caspase-1 activation following inflammasome activation, presumably via augmenting autoprocessing/cleavage of pro-caspase-1 into its corresponding catalytically active subunits.     

Anthrax and the inflammasome

Anthrax lethal toxin (LT), a major virulence determinant of anthrax disease, induces vascular collapse in mice and rats. LT activates the Nlrp1 inflammasome in macrophages and dendritic cells, resulting in caspase-1 activation, IL-1β and IL-18 maturation and a rapid cell death (pyroptosis). This review presents the current understanding of LT-induced activation of Nlrp1 in cells and its consequences for toxin-mediated effects in rodent toxin and spore challenge models.     

Tobacco etch virus protease: mechanism of autolysis and rational design of stable mutants with wild-type catalytic proficiency.

Because of its stringent sequence specificity, the catalytic domain of the nuclear inclusion protease from tobacco etch virus (TEV) is a useful reagent for cleaving genetically engineered fusion proteins. However, a serious drawback of TEV protease is that it readily cleaves itself at a specific site to generate a truncated enzyme with greatly diminished activity. The rate of autoinactivation is proportional to the concentration of TEV protease, implying a bimolecular reaction mechanism. Yet, a catalytically active protease was unable to convert a catalytically inactive protease into the truncated form. Adding increasing concentrations of the catalytically inactive protease to a fixed amount of the wild-type enzyme accelerated its rate of autoinactivation. Taken together, these results suggest that autoinactivation of TEV protease may be an intramolecular reaction that is facilitated by an allosteric interaction between protease molecules. In an effort to create a more stable protease, we made amino acid substitutions in the P2 and P1' positions of the internal cleavage site and assessed their impact on the enzyme's stability and catalytic activity. One of the P1' mutants, S219V, was not only far more stable than the wild-type protease (approximately 100-fold), but also a more efficient catalyst.     

Site-specific proteolysis of the Escherichia coli SecA protein in vivo.

A seven-amino-acid cleavage site specific for tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease was introduced into SecA at two separate positions after amino acids 195 and 252. Chromosomal wild-type secA was replaced by these secA constructs. Simultaneous expression of TEV protease led to cleavage of both SecA derivatives. In the functional SecA dimer, proteolysis directly indicated surface exposure of the TEV protease cleavage sites. Cleavage of SecA near residue 195 generated an unstable proteolysis product and a secretion defect, suggesting that this approach could be used to inactivate essential proteins in vivo.     

Heat shock inhibits caspase‐1 activity while also preventing its inflammasome‐mediated activation by anthrax lethal toxin

Anthrax lethal toxin (LT) rapidly kills macrophages from certain mouse strains in a mechanism dependent on the breakdown of unknown protein(s) by the proteasome, formation of the Nalp1b (NLRP1b) inflammasome and subsequent activation of caspase‐1. We report that heat‐shocking LT‐sensitive macrophages rapidly protects them against cytolysis by inhibiting caspase‐1 activation without upstream effects on LT endocytosis or cleavage of the toxin's known cytosolic substrates (mitogen‐activated protein kinases). Heat shock protection against LT occurred through a mechanism independent of de novo protein synthesis, HSP90 activity, p38 activation or proteasome inhibition and was downstream of mitogen‐activated protein kinase cleavage and degradation of an unknown substrate by the proteasome. The heat shock inhibition of LT‐mediated caspase‐1 activation was not specific to the Nalp1b (NLRP1b) inflammasome, as heat shock also inhibited Nalp3 (NLRP3) inflammasome‐mediated caspase‐1 activation in macrophages. We found that heat shock induced pro‐caspase‐1 association with a large cellular complex that could prevent its activation. Additionally, while heat‐shocking recombinant caspase‐1 did not affect its activity in vitro, lysates from heat‐shocked cells completely inhibited recombinant active caspase‐1 activity. Our results suggest that heat shock inhibition of active caspase‐1 can occur independently of an inflammasome platform, through a titratable factor present within intact, functioning heat‐shocked cells.     

An improved strategy for high-level production of TEV protease in Escherichia coli and its purification and characterization

Because of its stringent sequence specificity, tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease emerges as a useful reagent with wide application in the cleavage of recombinant fusion proteins. However, the solubility of TEV protease expressed in Escherichia coli is extremely low. In the present study, we introduced a more efficient system to improve and facilitate the soluble production of TEV protease in E. coli. Optimal expression of soluble His6-TEV was achieved by examining the contribution of chaperone co-expression and lower temperature fermentation. When further purified by Ni(2+) affinity chromatography, 65mg of His6-TEV was isolated with purity over 95% from 1L of culture. The enzyme activity of His6-TEV was generally characterized by using GST-EGFP and His6-L-TNF fusion protein as substrates, which contained a TEV cleavage site between two moieties.     

Porphyromonas gingivalis Mediates Inflammasome Repression in Polymicrobial Cultures through a Novel Mechanism Involving Reduced Endocytosis

The interleukin (IL)-1β-processing inflammasome has recently been identified as a target for pathogenic evasion of the inflammatory response by a number of bacteria and viruses. We postulated that the periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis may suppress the inflammasome as a mechanism for its low immunogenicity and pathogenic synergy with other, more highly immunogenic periodontal bacteria. Our results show that P. gingivalis lacks signaling capability for the activation of the inflammasome in mouse macrophages. Furthermore, P. gingivalis can suppress inflammasome activation by another periodontal bacterium, Fusobacterium nucleatum. This repression affects IL-1β processing, as well as other inflammasome-mediated processes, including IL-18 processing and cell death, in both human and mouse macrophages. F. nucleatum activates IL-1β processing through the Nlrp3 inflammasome; however, P. gingivalis repression is not mediated through reduced levels of inflammasome components. P. gingivalis can repress Nlrp3 inflammasome activation by Escherichia coli, and by danger-associated molecular patterns and pattern-associated molecular patterns that mediate activation through endocytosis. However, P. gingivalis does not suppress Nlrp3 inflammasome activation by ATP or nigericin. This suggests that P. gingivalis may preferentially suppress endocytic pathways toward inflammasome activation. To directly test whether P. gingivalis infection affects endocytosis, we assessed the uptake of fluorescent particles in the presence or absence of P. gingivalis. Our results show that P. gingivalis limits both the number of cells taking up beads and the number of beads taken up for bead-positive cells. These results provide a novel mechanism of pathogen-mediated inflammasome inhibition through the suppression of endocytosis.     

Mechanisms of NLRP1-Mediated Autoinflammatory Disease in Humans and Mice

NLRP1 was the first NOD-like receptor described to form an inflammasome, recruiting ASC to activate caspase-1, which processes interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 to their active form. A wealth of new genetic information has now redefined our understanding of this innate immune sensor. Specifically, rare loss-of-function variants in the N-terminal pyrin domain indicate that this part of NLRP1 is autoinhibitory and normally acts to prevent a familial autoinflammatory skin disease associated with cancer. In the absence of a ligand to trigger human NLRP1, these mutations have now confirmed the requirement of NLRP1 autolytic cleavage within the FIIND domain, which had previously been implicated in NLRP1 activation. Autolytic cleavage generates a C-terminal fragment of NLRP1 containing the CARD domain which then forms an ASC-dependent inflammasome. The CARD domain as an inflammasome linker is consistent with the observation that under some conditions, particularly for mouse NLRP1, caspase-1 can be engaged directly, and although it is no longer processed, it is still capable of producing mature IL-1β. Additional rare variants in a linker region between the LRR and FIIND domains of NLRP1 also cause autoinflammatory disease in both humans and mice. This new genetic information is likely to provide for more mechanistic insight in the years to come, contributing to our understanding of how NLRP1 functions as an innate immune sensor of infection and predisposes to autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases.     

Allelic variation on murine chromosome 11 modifies host inflammatory responses and resistance to Bacillus anthracis

Anthrax is a potentially fatal disease resulting from infection with Bacillus anthracis. The outcome of infection is influenced by pathogen-encoded virulence factors such as lethal toxin (LT), as well as by genetic variation within the host. To identify host genes controlling susceptibility to anthrax, a library of congenic mice consisting of strains with homozygous chromosomal segments from the LT-responsive CAST/Ei strain introgressed on a LT-resistant C57BL/6 (B6) background was screened for response to LT. Three congenic strains containing CAST/Ei regions of chromosome 11 were identified that displayed a rapid inflammatory response to LT similar to, but more severe than that driven by a LT-responsive allele of the inflammasome constituent NRLP1B. Importantly, increased response to LT in congenic mice correlated with greater resistance to infection by the Sterne strain of B. anthracis. The genomic region controlling the inflammatory response to LT was mapped to 66.36-74.67 Mb on chromosome 11, a region that encodes the LT-responsive CAST/Ei allele of Nlrp1b. However, known downstream effects of NLRP1B activation, including macrophage pyroptosis, cytokine release, and leukocyte infiltration could not fully explain the response to LT or the resistance to B. anthracis Sterne in congenic mice. Further, the exacerbated response in congenic mice is inherited in a recessive manner while the Nlrp1b-mediated response to LT is dominant. Finally, congenic mice displayed increased responsiveness in a model of sepsis compared with B6 mice. In total, these data suggest that allelic variation of one or more chromosome 11 genes in addition to Nlrp1b controls the severity of host response to multiple inflammatory stimuli and contributes to resistance to B. anthracis Sterne. Expression quantitative trait locus analysis revealed 25 genes within this region as high priority candidates for contributing to the host response to LT.     

TEV protease-mediated cleavage in Drosophila as a tool to analyze protein functions in living organisms

Drosophila provides a powerful experimental system to analyze gene functions in a multi-cellular organism. Here we describe an in vivo method that interferes with the integrity of selected proteins through site-specific cleavage in Drosophila. The technique is based on the highly specific seven-amino-acid recognition site of the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease. We established transgenic fly lines that direct TEV protease expression in various tissues without affecting fly viability. The insertion of the TEV protease recognition site in defined positions of target proteins mediates their sequence-specific cleavage after controlled TEV protease expression in the fly. Thereby, this technique is a powerful tool that allows the in vivo manipulation of selected proteins in a time- and tissue-specific manner.     

Anthrax Lethal Toxin Induced Lysosomal Membrane Permeabilization and Cytosolic Cathepsin Release Is Nlrp1b/Nalp1b-Dependent

NOD-like receptors (NLRs) are a group of cytoplasmic molecules that recognize microbial invasion or ‘danger signals’. Activation of NLRs can induce rapid caspase-1 dependent cell death termed pyroptosis, or a caspase-1 independent cell death termed pyronecrosis. Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT), is recognized by a subset of alleles of the NLR protein Nlrp1b, resulting in pyroptotic cell death of macrophages and dendritic cells. Here we show that LT induces lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP). The presentation of LMP requires expression of an LT-responsive allele of Nlrp1b, and is blocked by proteasome inhibitors and heat shock, both of which prevent LT-mediated pyroptosis. Further the lysosomal protease cathepsin B is released into the cell cytosol and cathepsin inhibitors block LT-mediated cell death. These data reveal a role for lysosomal membrane permeabilization in the cellular response to bacterial pathogens and demonstrate a shared requirement for cytosolic relocalization of cathepsins in pyroptosis and pyronecrosis.     

The P1' specificity of tobacco etch virus protease

Affinity tags have become indispensable tools for protein expression and purification. Yet, because they have the potential to interfere with structural and functional studies, it is usually desirable to remove them from the target protein. The stringent sequence specificity of the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease has made it a useful reagent for this purpose. However, a potential limitation of TEV protease is that it is believed to require a Gly or Ser residue in the P1' position of its substrates to process them with reasonable efficiency. Consequently, after an N-terminal affinity tag is removed by TEV protease, the target protein will usually retain a non-native Ser or Gly residue on its N-terminus, and in some cases this may affect its biological activity. To investigate the stringency of the requirement for Gly or Ser in the P1' position of a TEV protease recognition site, we constructed 20 variants of a fusion protein substrate with an otherwise optimal recognition site, each containing a different amino acid in the P1' position. The efficiency with which these fusion proteins were processed by TEV protease was compared both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the kinetic parameters K(M) and k(cat) were determined for a representative set of peptide substrates with amino acid substitutions in the P1' position. The results indicate that many side-chains can be accommodated in the P1' position of a TEV protease recognition site with little impact on the efficiency of processing.     

Evolutionary optimization of peptide substrates for proteases that exhibit rapid hydrolysis kinetics

Protease cleavage site recognition motifs can be identified using protease substrate discovery methodologies, but typically exhibit non‐optimal specificity and activity. To enable evolutionary optimization of substrate cleavage kinetics, a two‐color cellular library of peptide substrates (CLiPS) methodology was developed. Two‐color CLiPS was applied to identify peptide substrates for the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease from a random pentapeptide library, which were then optimized by screening of a focused, extended substrate library. Quantitative library screening yielded seven amino acid substrates exhibiting rapid hydrolysis by TEV protease and high sequence similarity to the native seven‐amino‐acid substrate, with a strong consensus of EXLYΦQG. Comparison of hydrolysis rates for a family of closely related substrates indicates that the native seven‐residue TEV substrate co‐evolved with TEV protease to facilitate highly efficient hydrolysis. Consensus motifs revealed by screening enabled database identification of a family of related, putative viral protease substrates. More generally, our results suggest that substrate evolution using CLiPS may be useful for optimizing substrate selectivity and activity to enable the design of more effective protease activity probes, molecular imaging agents, and prodrugs. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010; 106: 339–346. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A "two-hit" hypothesis for inclusion formation by carboxyl-terminal fragments of TDP-43 protein linked to RNA depletion and impaired microtubule-dependent transport

Carboxyl-terminal fragments (CTFs) of TDP-43 aggregate to form the diagnostic signature inclusions of frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but the biological significance of these CTFs and how they are generated remain enigmatic. To address these issues, we engineered mammalian cells with an inducible tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease that cleaves TDP-43 containing a TEV cleavage site. Regions of TDP-43 flanking the second RNA recognition motif (RRM2) are efficiently cleaved by TEV, whereas sites within this domain are more resistant to cleavage. CTFs containing RRM2 generated from de novo cleavage of nuclear TDP-43 are transported to the cytoplasm and efficiently cleared, indicating that cleavage alone is not sufficient to initiate CTF aggregation. However, CTFs rapidly aggregated into stable cytoplasmic inclusions following de novo cleavage when dynein-mediated microtubule transport was disrupted, RNA was depleted, or natively misfolded CTFs were introduced into these cells. Our data support a "two-hit" mechanism of CTF aggregation dependent on TDP-43 cleavage.