The lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase CbpD promotes Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence in systemic infection

Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 23;12(1):1230. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21473-0.

Abstract

The recently discovered lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), which cleave polysaccharides by oxidation, have been associated with bacterial virulence, but supporting functional data is scarce. Here we show that CbpD, the LPMO of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is a chitin-oxidizing virulence factor that promotes survival of the bacterium in human blood. The catalytic activity of CbpD was promoted by azurin and pyocyanin, two redox-active virulence factors also secreted by P. aeruginosa. Homology modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, and small angle X-ray scattering indicated that CbpD is a monomeric tri-modular enzyme with flexible linkers. Deletion of cbpD rendered P. aeruginosa unable to establish a lethal systemic infection, associated with enhanced bacterial clearance in vivo. CbpD-dependent survival of the wild-type bacterium was not attributable to dampening of pro-inflammatory responses by CbpD ex vivo or in vivo. Rather, we found that CbpD attenuates the terminal complement cascade in human serum. Studies with an active site mutant of CbpD indicated that catalytic activity is crucial for virulence function. Finally, profiling of the bacterial and splenic proteomes showed that the lack of this single enzyme resulted in substantial re-organization of the bacterial and host proteomes. LPMOs similar to CbpD occur in other pathogens and may have similar immune evasive functions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Death
  • Complement System Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Microbial Viability
  • Mixed Function Oxygenases / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism*
  • Protein Domains
  • Proteome / metabolism
  • Proteomics
  • Pseudomonas Infections / blood
  • Pseudomonas Infections / enzymology*
  • Pseudomonas Infections / microbiology*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / enzymology*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / pathogenicity*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Virulence
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Polysaccharides
  • Proteome
  • Virulence Factors
  • chitin-binding protein D, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Complement System Proteins
  • Mixed Function Oxygenases