Australian Centre for Infectious Disease Research and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
Infect Immun. 2012 Mar;80(3):1065-71. doi: 10.1128/IAI.06163-11. Epub 2011 Dec 19.
NGO0579 is annotated copA in the Neisseria gonorrhoeae chromosome, suggesting that it encodes a cation-transporting ATPase specific for copper ions. Compared to wild-type cells, a copA mutant was more sensitive to killing by copper ions but not to other transition metals. The mutant also accumulated a greater amount of copper, consistent with the predicted role of CopA as a copper efflux pump. The copA mutant showed a reduced ability to invade and survive within human cervical epithelial cells, although its ability to form a biofilm on the surface of these cells was not significantly different from that of the wild type. In the presence of copper, the copA mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to killing by nitrite or nitric oxide. Therefore, we concluded that copper ion efflux catalyzed by CopA is linked to the nitrosative stress defense system of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These observations suggest that copper may exert its effects as an antibacterial agent in the innate immune system via an interaction with reactive nitrogen species.
NGO0579 在淋病奈瑟氏球菌染色体上被注释为 copA，表明它编码一种对铜离子具有特异性的阳离子转运 ATP 酶。与野生型细胞相比，copA 突变体对铜离子的杀伤更为敏感，但对其他过渡金属不敏感。该突变体还积累了更多的铜，这与 CopA 作为铜外排泵的预期作用一致。copA 突变体在侵袭和存活于人宫颈上皮细胞内的能力降低，尽管其在这些细胞表面形成生物膜的能力与野生型没有显著差异。在铜存在的情况下，copA 突变体对亚硝酸盐或一氧化氮的杀伤更为敏感。因此，我们得出结论，CopA 催化的铜离子外排与淋病奈瑟氏球菌的硝化应激防御系统有关。这些观察结果表明，铜可能通过与活性氮物种相互作用，在先天免疫系统中作为一种抗菌剂发挥作用。
