Abstract
The classical bordetellae are comprised of three subspecies that differ from broad to very limited host specificity. Although several lineages appear to have specialized to particular host species, most retain the ability to colonize and grow in mice, providing a powerful common experimental model to study their differences. One of the subspecies, Bordetella parapertussis, is composed of two distinct clades that have specialized to different hosts: one to humans (Bpphu), and the other to sheep (Bppov). While Bpphu and the other classical bordetellae can efficiently colonize mice, Bppov strains are severely defective in their ability to colonize the murine respiratory tract. Bppov genomic analysis did not reveal the loss of adherence genes, but substantial mutations and deletions of multiple genes involved in the production of O-antigen, which is required to prevent complement deposition on B. bronchiseptica and Bpphu strains. Bppov lacks O-antigen and, like O-antigen mutants of other bordetellae, is highly sensitive to murine complement-mediated killing in vitro. Based on these results, we hypothesized that Bppov failed to colonize mice because of its sensitivity to murine complement. Consistent with this, the Bppov defect in the colonization of wild type mice was not observed in mice lacking the central complement component C3. Furthermore, Bppov strains were highly susceptible to killing by murine complement, but not by sheep complement. These data demonstrate that the failure of Bppov to colonize mice is due to sensitivity to murine, but not sheep, complement, providing a mechanistic example of how specialization that accompanies expansion in one host can limit host range.
Highlights
From bacteria to nematodes, pathogens and parasites can vary in host range from very broad to highly specific
B. parapertussisov strains are rapidly cleared from the mouse respiratory tract
To confirm that this phenotype is not unique to this strain, we examined another B. parapertussisov (Bppov) strain, HI, which was cleared from the mouse lower respiratory tract within 7 days, suggesting that the failure to colonize mice is a phenotype common to Bppov strains (S1 Fig)
Summary
Pathogens and parasites can vary in host range from very broad (cross-kingdom) to highly specific (single subspecies). Every classical bordetellae strain previously described can colonize and grow within the respiratory tracts of mice, including human isolates of the subspecies Bpphu, with a single exception. Ovine isolates of Bppov fail to colonize and grow in mice, revealing an example of a limitation of host specificity in an experimental system in which a combination of comparative genomics and mouse molecular immunology can be employed to examine its molecular basis. Disparate lineages were able to efficiently colonize and grow in mice, including Bpphu, but Bppov strains were defective These two lineages share most known adhesins and virulence factors, we observed differences in complement resistance factors in the bordetellae, and in Bppov, difference in the locus encoding for the enzymes involved in assembly of the O-antigen component of LPS. These data provide an example of adaptation to host-specific innate immune functions that can result in limitation of host range
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