Abstract
The production of antimicrobial reactive oxygen species by the nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase complex is an important mechanism for control of invading pathogens. Herein, we show that the gastrointestinal pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus counteracts reactive oxygen species (ROS) production using the Type III Secretion System 2 (T3SS2) effector VopL. In the absence of VopL, intracellular V. parahaemolyticus undergoes ROS-dependent filamentation, with concurrent limited growth. During infection, VopL assembles actin into non-functional filaments resulting in a dysfunctional actin cytoskeleton that can no longer mediate the assembly of the NADPH oxidase at the cell membrane, thereby limiting ROS production. This is the first example of how a T3SS2 effector contributes to the intracellular survival of V. parahaemolyticus, supporting the establishment of a protective intracellular replicative niche.
Highlights
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative bacterium that inhabits warm marine and estuarine environments throughout the world [1]
We recently discovered that during infection, V. parahaemolyticus invades cells from the host and uses a suite of effector proteins to convert the invaded cell into a niche for robust bacterial replication
We describe how one of the effector proteins, VopL, contributes to this process by disrupting the actin cytoskeleton
Summary
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative bacterium that inhabits warm marine and estuarine environments throughout the world [1]. This bacterium is recognized as the world’s leading cause of acute gastroenteritis associated with the consumption of contaminated raw or undercooked seafood [2]. For individuals with underlying health conditions, the bacterium can breach the gut barrier and cause septicemia corresponding to high mortality rates [3]. The bacterium was identified as the etiologic agent of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), a shrimp illness that has recently emerged, causing a massive economic burden on the shrimp industry [5]
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