Type IV pilus protein PilA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa modulates calcium signaling through binding the calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand

J Infect Chemother. 2013 Aug;19(4):653-64. doi: 10.1007/s10156-012-0536-y. Epub 2012 Dec 25.

Abstract

The lungs are a major site of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in patients with compromised immune systems. We have shown that a large number of cells of the P. aeruginosa wild-type PAO1 strain invade cultured human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). In the present study, we investigated whether P. aeruginosa pilus protein PilA might modulate cellular functions by binding to unknown factor(s) in human host cells. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we showed that the calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand (CAMLG), which is involved in Ca(2+) signaling, was the major host cell PilA binding protein. Overexpression of the pilA gene in BEAS-2B cells resulted in a significant increase in cytoplasmic Ca(2+) and consequent upregulation of the activity of the nuclear factor of activated T cells, followed by induction of cyclooxygenase 2 gene expression. Infection of BEAS-2B cells with the P. aeruginosa wild-type strain, but not with the pilA gene knockout strain (ΔpilA), caused a significant increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in infected cells. Therefore, we propose a novel bacterial strategy for PilA modulation of intracellular Ca(2+) signaling through intracellular PilA-CAMLG interaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism*
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Calcium Signaling / physiology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Fimbriae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Gene Silencing
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Protein Binding
  • Pseudomonas Infections
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • CAMLG protein, human
  • Fimbriae Proteins
  • Calcium