The TIR-domain containing effectors BtpA and BtpB from Brucella abortus impact NAD metabolism

PLoS Pathog. 2020 Apr 16;16(4):e1007979. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007979. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Brucella species are facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacteria relevant to animal and human health. Their ability to establish an intracellular niche and subvert host cell pathways to their advantage depends on the delivery of bacterial effector proteins through a type IV secretion system. Brucella Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor (TIR)-domain-containing proteins BtpA (also known as TcpB) and BtpB are among such effectors. Although divergent in primary sequence, they interfere with Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling to inhibit the innate immune responses. However, the molecular mechanisms implicated still remain unclear. To gain insight into the functions of BtpA and BtpB, we expressed them in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a eukaryotic cell model. We found that both effectors were cytotoxic and that their respective TIR domains were necessary and sufficient for yeast growth inhibition. Growth arrest was concomitant with actin depolymerization, endocytic block and a general decrease in kinase activity in the cell, suggesting a failure in energetic metabolism. Indeed, levels of ATP and NAD+ were low in yeast cells expressing BtpA and BtpB TIR domains, consistent with the recently described enzymatic activity of some TIR domains as NAD+ hydrolases. In human epithelial cells, both BtpA and BtpB expression reduced intracellular total NAD levels. In infected cells, both BtpA and BtpB contributed to reduction of total NAD, indicating that their NAD+ hydrolase functions are active intracellularly during infection. Overall, combining the yeast model together with mammalian cells and infection studies our results show that BtpA and BtpB modulate energy metabolism in host cells through NAD+ hydrolysis, assigning a novel role for these TIR domain-containing effectors in Brucella pathogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Brucella abortus / growth & development*
  • Brucella abortus / metabolism
  • Brucellosis / metabolism*
  • Brucellosis / microbiology
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • NAD / metabolism*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / growth & development*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Virulence Factors
  • NAD
  • Hydrolases

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the FINOVI foundation under a Young Researcher Starting Grant, the Cystic Fibrosis French Foundation Vaincre la Mucovicidose grant RF20130500897 and the ANR (grant n°ANR-15-CE15-0011) to SS, and by grants BIO2016-75030-P from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) and S2017/BMD-3691 (InGEMICS-CM) from Comunidad de Madrid and European Structural and Investment Funds to VJC and MM. SS is supported by an INSERM staff scientist contract. J.M.C-S is supported by a predoctoral contract from UCM. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.