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An endonuclease allows Streptococcus pneumoniae to escape from neutrophil extracellular traps

Beiter, Katharina ; Wartha, Florian ; Albiger, Barbara LU ; Normark, Staffan ; Zychlinsky, Arturo and Henriques-Normark, Birgitta (2006) In Current Biology 16(4). p.401-407
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia, with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. A major feature of pneumococcal pneumonia is an abundant neutrophil infiltration . It was recently shown that activated neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which contain antimicrobial proteins bound to a DNA scaffold. NETs provide a high local concentration of antimicrobial components and bind, disarm, and kill microbes extracellularly. Here, we show that pneumococci are trapped but, unlike many other pathogens, not killed by NETs. NET trapping in the lungs, however, may allow the host to confine the infection, reducing the likelihood for the pathogen to spread into the... (More)
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia, with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. A major feature of pneumococcal pneumonia is an abundant neutrophil infiltration . It was recently shown that activated neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which contain antimicrobial proteins bound to a DNA scaffold. NETs provide a high local concentration of antimicrobial components and bind, disarm, and kill microbes extracellularly. Here, we show that pneumococci are trapped but, unlike many other pathogens, not killed by NETs. NET trapping in the lungs, however, may allow the host to confine the infection, reducing the likelihood for the pathogen to spread into the bloodstream. DNases are expressed by many Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, but their role in virulence is not clear. Expression of a surface endonuclease encoded by endA is a common feature of many pneumococcal strains. We show that EndA allows pneumococci to degrade the DNA scaffold of NETs and escape. Furthermore, we demonstrate that escaping NETs promotes spreading of pneumococci from the upper airways to the lungs and from the lungs into the bloodstream during pneumonia. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
CELLBIO, MICROBIO
in
Current Biology
volume
16
issue
4
pages
401 - 407
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:16488875
  • scopus:32944482526
  • pmid:16488875
ISSN
1879-0445
DOI
10.1016/j.cub.2006.01.056
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a901ad4f-594f-435b-9e56-dfc7d8db4b00 (old id 1135187)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:59:29
date last changed
2022-05-18 23:33:58
@article{a901ad4f-594f-435b-9e56-dfc7d8db4b00,
  abstract     = {{Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia, with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. A major feature of pneumococcal pneumonia is an abundant neutrophil infiltration . It was recently shown that activated neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which contain antimicrobial proteins bound to a DNA scaffold. NETs provide a high local concentration of antimicrobial components and bind, disarm, and kill microbes extracellularly. Here, we show that pneumococci are trapped but, unlike many other pathogens, not killed by NETs. NET trapping in the lungs, however, may allow the host to confine the infection, reducing the likelihood for the pathogen to spread into the bloodstream. DNases are expressed by many Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, but their role in virulence is not clear. Expression of a surface endonuclease encoded by endA is a common feature of many pneumococcal strains. We show that EndA allows pneumococci to degrade the DNA scaffold of NETs and escape. Furthermore, we demonstrate that escaping NETs promotes spreading of pneumococci from the upper airways to the lungs and from the lungs into the bloodstream during pneumonia.}},
  author       = {{Beiter, Katharina and Wartha, Florian and Albiger, Barbara and Normark, Staffan and Zychlinsky, Arturo and Henriques-Normark, Birgitta}},
  issn         = {{1879-0445}},
  keywords     = {{CELLBIO; MICROBIO}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{401--407}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Current Biology}},
  title        = {{An endonuclease allows Streptococcus pneumoniae to escape from neutrophil extracellular traps}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2006.01.056}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.cub.2006.01.056}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}