Shigella Type III Secretion Protein MxiI Is Recognized by Naip2 to Induce Nlrc4 Inflammasome Activation Independently of Pkcδ

Gabriel Núñez,Chihiro Sasakawa,Dana J Philpott,Luigi Franchi,Hitomi Mimuro,Raul Muñoz-Planillo,Yuan He,Toshihiko Suzuki,Shiho Suzuki

doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003926

Abstract

Recognition of intracellular pathogenic bacteria by members of the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat containing (NLR) family triggers immune responses against bacterial infection. A major response induced by several Gram-negative bacteria is the activation of caspase-1 via the Nlrc4 inflammasome. Upon activation, caspase-1 regulates the processing of proIL-1β and proIL-18 leading to the release of mature IL-1β and IL-18, and induction of pyroptosis. The activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome requires the presence of an intact type III or IV secretion system that mediates the translocation of small amounts of flagellin or PrgJ-like rod proteins into the host cytosol to induce Nlrc4 activation. Using the Salmonella system, it was shown that Naip2 and Naip5 link flagellin and the rod protein PrgJ, respectively, to Nlrc4. Furthermore, phosphorylation of Nlrc4 at Ser533 by Pkcδ was found to be critical for the activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome. Here, we show that Naip2 recognizes the Shigella T3SS inner rod protein MxiI and induces Nlrc4 inflammasome activation. The expression of MxiI in primary macrophages was sufficient to induce pyroptosis and IL-1β release, which were prevented in macrophages deficient in Nlrc4. In the presence of MxiI or Shigella infection, MxiI associated with Naip2, and Naip2 interacted with Nlrc4. siRNA-mediated knockdown of Naip2, but not Naip5, inhibited Shigella-induced caspase-1 activation, IL-1β maturation and Asc pyroptosome formation. Notably, the Pkcδ kinase was dispensable for caspase-1 activation and secretion of IL-1β induced by Shigella or Salmonella infection. These results indicate that activation of caspase-1 by Shigella is triggered by the rod protein MxiI that interacts with Naip2 to induce activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome independently of the Pkcδ kinase.

Highlights

Recognition of intracellular pathogenic bacteria by members of the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat containing (NLR) family triggers immune responses against bacterial infection [1,2]
We discovered that the Shigella T3SS inner rod protein MxiI induces Nlrc4 inflammasome activation through the interaction with host Naip2, which promoted the association of Naip2 with Nlrc4 in macrophages
Expression of MxiI-green fluorescence protein (GFP), but not GFP, induced the release of IL-1b in WT macrophages, which was abolished in macrophages lacking Nlrc4 (Figure 1B)

Summary

Introduction

Recognition of intracellular pathogenic bacteria by members of the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat containing (NLR) family triggers immune responses against bacterial infection [1,2]. A major response against several pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, including Salmonella, Legionella, and Shigella is the activation of caspase-1 via Nlrc in macrophages [1,3]. Many Gram-negative bacteria encode a type III secretion system (T3SS) with conserved structural features that promote virulence by injecting bacterial effector proteins directly into the cytosol of host cells [7,8]. In macrophages infected with Salmonella, the cytosolic delivery of flagellin or the bacterial rod protein PrgJ through the T3SS is recognized by Nlrc leading to inflammasome activation [9]. Naips (NLR family, apoptosis inhibitory proteins) have been shown to act as adaptor molecules that connect flagellin or the bacterial rod protein PrgJ to Nlrc4 [10,11].

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Results

Conclusion