Pseudomonas aeruginosa eliminates natural killer cells via phagocytosis-induced apoptosis

PLoS Pathog. 2009 Aug;5(8):e1000561. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000561. Epub 2009 Aug 28.

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes the relapse of illness in immunocompromised patients, leading to prolonged hospitalization, increased medical expense, and death. In this report, we show that PA invades natural killer (NK) cells and induces phagocytosis-induced cell death (PICD) of lymphocytes. In vivo tumor metastasis was augmented by PA infection, with a significant reduction in NK cell number. Adoptive transfer of NK cells mitigated PA-induced metastasis. Internalization of PA into NK cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, PA invaded NK cells via phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation, and the phagocytic event led to caspase 9-dependent apoptosis of NK cells. PA-mediated NK cell apoptosis was dependent on activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These data suggest that the phagocytosis of PA by NK cells is a critical event that affects the relapse of diseases in immunocompromised patients, such as those with cancer, and provides important insights into the interactions between PA and NK cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / immunology*
  • Caspase 9 / immunology
  • Caspase 9 / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / physiology
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology*
  • Killer Cells, Natural / metabolism
  • Killer Cells, Natural / microbiology
  • Melanoma / immunology
  • Melanoma / microbiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Phagocytosis / immunology*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / immunology*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Casp9 protein, mouse
  • Caspase 9