Streptococcus pneumoniae infection of host epithelial cells via polymeric immunoglobulin receptor transiently induces calcium release from intracellular stores.

The pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) is a major adhesin of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci) that interacts in a human-specific manner with the ectodomain of the human polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) produced by respiratory epithelial cells. This interaction promotes bacterial colonization and bacterial internalization by initiating host signal transduction cascades. Here, we examined alterations of intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) levels in epithelial cells during host cell infections with pneumococci via the PspC-hpIgR mechanism. The release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores in host cells was significantly increased by wild-type pneumococci but not by PspC-deficient pneumococci. The increase in Ca(2+) was dependent on phospholipase C as pretreatment of cells with a phospholipase C-specific inhibitor U73122 abolished the increase in Ca(2+). In addition, we demonstrated the effect of Ca(2+) on pneumococcal internalization by epithelial cells. Uptake of pneumococci was significantly increased after pretreatment of epithelial cells with the cell-permeable calcium chelator 1,2-bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid-tetraacetoxymethyl ester or use of EGTA as an extracellular Ca(2+)-chelating agent. In contrast, thapsigargin, an inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)ATPase, which increases Ca(2+) in a sustained fashion, significantly reduced pIgR-mediated pneumococcal invasion. Importantly, pneumococcal adherence to pIgR-expressing cells was not altered in the presence of inhibitors as demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that pneumococcal infections induce mobilization of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores. This may constitute a defense response of host cells as the experimental reduction of intracellular calcium levels facilitates pneumococcal internalization by pIgR-expressing cells, whereas elevated calcium levels diminished bacterial internalization by host epithelial cells.