Klebsiella pneumoniae targets an EGF receptor-dependent pathway to subvert inflammation.
The NF-κB transcriptional factor plays a key role governing the activation of immune responses. Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important cause of community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia. Evidence indicates that K. pneumoniae infections are characterized by lacking an early inflammatory response. Recently, we have demonstrated that Klebsiella antagonizes the activation of NF-κB via the deubiquitinase CYLD. In this work, by applying a high-throughput siRNA gain-of-function screen interrogating the human kinome, we identified 17 kinases that when targeted by siRNA restored IL-1β-dependent NF-κB translocation in infected cells. Further characterization revealed that K. pneumoniae activates an EGF receptor (EGFR)-phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase (PI3K)-AKT-PAK4-ERK-GSK3β signalling pathway to attenuate the cytokine-dependent nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Our data also revealed that CYLD is a downstream effector of K. pneumoniae-induced EGFR-PI3K-AKT-PAK4-ERK-GSK3β signalling pathway. Our efforts to identify the bacterial factor(s)responsible for EGFR activation demonstrate that a capsule (CPS) mutant did not activate EGFR hence suggesting that CPS could mediate the activation of EGFR. Supporting this notion, purified CPS did activate EGFR as well as the EGFR-dependent PI3K-AKT-PAK4-ERK-GSK3β signalling pathway. CPS-mediated EGFR activation was dependent on a TLR4-MyD88-c-SRC-dependent pathway. Several promising drugs have been developed to antagonize this cascade. We propose that agents targeting this signalling pathway might provide selective alternatives for the management of K. pneumoniae pneumonias.
Laboratory Microbial Pathogenesis, Fundació d'Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears (FISIB), Recinto Hospital Joan March, 07110, Bunyola, Spain.
Christian G
CG
Frank
Verónica
V
Reguerio
Marion
M
Rother
David
D
Moranta
André P
AP
Maeurer
Junkal
J
Garmendia
Thomas F
TF
Meyer
José A
JA
Bengoechea
D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D057131:Immune Evasion; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D011494:Protein Kinases; D066246:ErbB Receptors