Cabanes, D. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2021

Stabilin-1 plays a protective role against Listeria monocytogenes infection through the regulation of cytokine and chemokine production and immune cell recruitment

Scavenger receptors are part of a complex surveillance system expressed by host cells to efficiently orchestrate innate immune response against bacterial infections. Stabilin-1 (STAB-1) is a scavenger receptor involved in cell trafficking, inflammation and cancer, however its role in infection remains to be elucidated. Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a major intracellular human food-borne pathogen causing severe infections in susceptible hosts. Using a mouse model of infection, we demonstrate here that STAB-1 controls Lm-induced cytokine and chemokine production and immune cell accumulation in Lm-infected organs. We show that STAB-1 also regulates the recruitment of myeloid cells in response to Lm infection and contributes to clear circulating bacteria. In addition, whereas STAB-1 appears to promote bacterial uptake by macrophages, infection by pathogenic Listeria induces the down regulation of STAB-1 expression and its delocalization from the host cell membrane. We propose STAB-1 as a new SR involved in the control of Lm infection through the regulation of host defense mechanisms, a process that would be targeted by bacterial virulence factors to promote infection.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Src-dependent NM2A tyrosine-phosphorylation regulates actomyosin dynamics

Non-muscle myosin 2A (NM2A) is a key cytoskeletal enzyme that along with actin assembles into actomyosin filaments inside cells. NM2A is fundamental in cellular processes requiring force generation such as cell adhesion, motility and cell division, and plays important functions in different stages of development and during the progression of viral and bacterial infections. We previously identified a novel tyrosine phosphorylation on residue 158 (pTyr158) in the motor domain of NM2A. This phosphorylation is dependent on Src kinase and is promoted by Listeria monocytogenes infection of epithelial cells, however its role is unknown. Here we show that Listeriolysin O (LLO), the pore-forming toxin (PFT) secreted by L. monocytogenes, is sufficient to trigger NM2A pTyr158 by activating Src, an upstream regulator of actomyosin remodeling. We further address the role of NM2A pTyr158 on the organization and dynamics of the actomyosin cytoskeleton and find that, by controlling the activation of the NM2A, the status of the pTyr158 alters cytoskeletal organization, dynamics of focal adhesions and cell motility. In vitro, we observe that non-phosphorylatable and phospho-mimetic versions of NM2A at Tyr158 display motor and ATPase activities similar to the wild-type NM2A, which indicates that the phenotype of these mutants in cells is independent of their ability to translocate actin filaments. Importantly, we find the regulation of this phosphorylation site to be of physiological relevance in Caenorhabditis elegans, in particular in response to intoxication by a PFT and to heat shock. We conclude that the control of the phosphorylation status at NM2A Tyr158 is a conserved trait that contributes to the regulation of actomyosin dynamics and the ability of cells to respond to bacterial infection. We propose Src-dependent NM2A pTyr158 as a novel layer of regulation of the actomyosin cytoskeleton.

cell biology↗