NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation

PLoS One. 2011;6(7):e21749. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021749. Epub 2011 Jul 1.

Abstract

Bacterial auto-aggregation is a critical step during adhesion of N. meningitidis to host cells. The precise mechanisms and functions of bacterial auto-aggregation still remain to be fully elucidated. In this work, we characterize the role of a meningococcal hypothetical protein, NMB0995/NMC0982, and show that this protein, here denoted NafA, acts as an anti-aggregation factor. NafA was confirmed to be surface exposed and was found to be induced at a late stage of bacterial adherence to epithelial cells. A NafA deficient mutant was hyperpiliated and formed bundles of pili. Further, the mutant displayed increased adherence to epithelial cells when compared to the wild-type strain. In the absence of host cells, the NafA deficient mutant was more aggregative than the wild-type strain. The in vivo role of NafA in sepsis was studied in a murine model of meningococcal disease. Challenge with the NafA deficient mutant resulted in lower bacteremia levels and mortality when compared to the wild-type strain. The present study reveals that meningococcal NafA is an anti-aggregation factor with strong impact on the disease outcome. These data also suggest that appropriate bacterial auto-aggregation is controlled by both aggregation and anti-aggregation factors during Neisseria infection in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Adhesion
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Epithelial Cells / cytology
  • Epithelial Cells / microbiology
  • Fimbriae, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Meningococcal Infections / blood
  • Meningococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Neisseria meningitidis / cytology*
  • Neisseria meningitidis / metabolism*
  • Neisseria meningitidis / pathogenicity
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins