Polymicrobial interactions stimulate resistance to host innate immunity through metabolite perception

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Feb 3;106(5):1578-83. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0809533106. Epub 2009 Jan 21.

Abstract

Bacteria in the human oral cavity often grow in an attached multispecies biofilm community. Members of this community display defined interactions that have an impact on the physiology of the individual and the group. Here, we show that during coculture growth with streptococci, the oral pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans displays enhanced resistance to killing by host innate immunity. The mechanism of resistance involves sensing of the streptococcal metabolite hydrogen peroxide by A. actinomycetemcomitans, which stimulates a genetic program resulting in enhanced expression of the complement resistance protein ApiA. The oxidative stress response regulator OxyR mediates induction of apiA transcription, and this induction is required for coculture resistance to killing by human serum. These findings provide evidence that interaction between community members mediates prokaryotic resistance to host innate immunity and reinforce the need to understand how polymicrobial growth affects interaction with the host immune system.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / physiology
  • Base Sequence
  • Blood
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Complement System Proteins / physiology
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
  • Immunity, Innate*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Proteobacteria / physiology*
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Transcription, Genetic / drug effects

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Complement System Proteins
  • Hydrogen Peroxide