A Type III Effector NleF from EHEC Inhibits Epithelial Inflammatory Cell Death by Targeting Caspase-4

Biomed Res Int. 2017:2017:4101745. doi: 10.1155/2017/4101745. Epub 2017 May 16.

Abstract

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is a highly pathogenic bacterial strain capable of inducing severe gastrointestinal disease. Here, we show that EHEC uses the T3SS effector NleF to counteract the host inflammatory response by dampening caspase-4-mediated inflammatory epithelial cell death and by preventing the production of IL-1β. The other two inflammatory caspases, caspase-1 and caspase-5, are not involved in EHEC ΔnleF-induced inflammatory cell death. We found that NleF not only interrupted the heterodimerization of caspase-4-p19 and caspase-4-p10, but also inhibited the interaction of caspase-1 and caspase-4. The last four amino acids of the NleF carboxy terminus are essential in inhibiting caspase-4-dependent inflammatory cell death.

MeSH terms

  • Caspases, Initiator / genetics
  • Caspases, Initiator / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / metabolism*
  • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Epithelial Cells / pathology
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / microbiology
  • Interleukin-1beta / genetics
  • Interleukin-1beta / metabolism
  • Protein Domains
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • IL1B protein, human
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • NleF protein, E coli
  • Virulence Factors
  • CASP4 protein, human
  • Caspases, Initiator