Pseudomonas aeruginosa activates caspase 1 through Ipaf

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Feb 19;105(7):2562-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0712183105. Epub 2008 Feb 6.

Abstract

The innate immune system encodes cytosolic Nod-like receptors (NLRs), several of which activate caspase 1 processing and IL-1beta and IL-18 secretion. Macrophages respond to Salmonella typhimurium infection by activating caspase 1 through the NLR Ipaf. This activation is mediated by cytosolic flagellin through the activity of the virulence-associated type III secretion system (T3SS). We demonstrate here that Pseudomonas aeruginosa activates caspase 1 and induces IL-1beta secretion in infected macrophages. While live, virulent P. aeruginosa activate IL-1beta secretion through caspase 1 and Ipaf, strains that have mutations in the T3SS or in flagellin did not. Ipaf-dependent caspase 1 activation could be recapitulated by delivering P. aeruginosa flagellin to the macrophage cytosol. We examined the role of Naip5 in P. aeruginosa-induced caspase 1 activation by using A/J (Naip5-deficient) compared with C57BL/6 and BALB/c (Naip5-sufficient) macrophages and observed that A/J macrophages secrete IL-1beta in response to P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes infection, as well as in response to cytosolic flagellin, but at slightly reduced levels. Thus, Ipaf-dependent detection of cytosolic flagellin is a conserved mechanism by which macrophages detect the presence of pathogens that use T3SS.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism*
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Caspase 1 / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytosol / metabolism
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Flagellin / pharmacology
  • Interleukin-1beta / metabolism
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Neuronal Apoptosis-Inhibitory Protein / metabolism
  • Protein Transport
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / metabolism*

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Ipaf protein, mouse
  • Naip5 protein, mouse
  • Neuronal Apoptosis-Inhibitory Protein
  • Flagellin
  • Caspase 1