title: Cholesterol-dependent attachment of human respiratory cells by Bordetella pertussis.
abstract: Bordetella pertussis is a re-emerging human respiratory pathogen whose infectious process is not fully understood, hampering the design of effective vaccines. The nature of bacterial attachment to host cells is a key event in the outcome of the infection. However, host cell receptors involved in B. pertussis colonization of the respiratory tract are still under investigation. Here, we report that cholesterol-rich domains are involved in B. pertussis adhesion to epithelial cells. Treatment of A549 cells with cholesterol-sequestering drugs such as methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, nystatin, or filipin resulted in a significant decrease of B. pertussis attachment. Confocal laser microscopy studies showed B. pertussis associated with cholesterol-rich domains. Accordingly, B. pertussis was found in detergent-resistant membrane domain fractions isolated from bacterial-infected A549 cells. Our results indicate a main role of filamentous hemagglutinin, an environmentally regulated virulence factor, in this interaction, and a specific affinity for cholesterol, one of the major components of tracheal secretions, which might additionally contribute to the effective colonization of the respiratory tract.
authors.affiliation: CINDEFI (UNLP, CONICET La Plata), School of Science, La Plata University, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Yanina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lamberti
authors.forename: Jimena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez Hayes
authors.forename: Maria L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Perez Vidakovics
authors.forename: Maria Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000494:pharmacology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D005372:Filipin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009761:Nystatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000378:metabolism; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000963:Antimetabolites; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; C065273:filamentous hemagglutinin adhesin, Bordetella pertussis; C108732:methyl-beta-cyclodextrin; D009761:Nystatin; D005372:Filipin; D002784:Cholesterol