Cell-surface anchoring of Listeria adhesion protein on L. monocytogenes is fastened by internalin B for pathogenesis

Cell Rep. 2023 May 30;42(5):112515. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112515. Epub 2023 May 11.

Abstract

Listeria adhesion protein (LAP) is a secreted acetaldehyde alcohol dehydrogenase (AdhE) that anchors to an unknown molecule on the Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) surface, which is critical for its intestinal epithelium crossing. In the present work, immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry identify internalin B (InlB) as the primary ligand of LAP (KD ∼ 42 nM). InlB-deleted and naturally InlB-deficient Lm strains show reduced LAP-InlB interaction and LAP-mediated pathology in the murine intestine and brain invasion. InlB-overexpressing non-pathogenic Listeria innocua also displays LAP-InlB interplay. In silico predictions reveal that a pocket region in the C-terminal domain of tetrameric LAP is the binding site for InlB. LAP variants containing mutations in negatively charged (E523S, E621S) amino acids in the C terminus confirm altered binding conformations and weaker affinity for InlB. InlB transforms the housekeeping enzyme, AdhE (LAP), into a moonlighting pathogenic factor by fastening on the cell surface.

Keywords: AdhE; CP: Microbiology; InlB; LAP; Listeria adhesion protein; Listeria monocytogenes; acetaldehyde alcohol dehydrogenase; bacterial translocation; neuroinvasion; pathogenesis; protein-protein interaction; secretion; surface anchoring.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alcohol Dehydrogenase / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Listeria monocytogenes* / metabolism
  • Listeria* / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Alcohol Dehydrogenase