Inserm, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, U1151, Paris, France.
Université de Paris, UMR_S 1151, Paris, France.
Cell Microbiol. 2019 Nov;21(11):e13063. doi: 10.1111/cmi.13063. Epub 2019 Jun 13.
Neisseria meningitidis is a Gram-negative bacterium that asymptomatically colonises the nasopharynx of humans. For an unknown reason, N. meningitidis can cross the nasopharyngeal barrier and invade the bloodstream where it becomes one of the most harmful extracellular bacterial pathogen. This infectious cycle involves the colonisation of two different environments. (a) In the nasopharynx, N. meningitidis grow on the top of mucus-producing epithelial cells surrounded by a complex microbiota. To survive and grow in this challenging environment, the meningococcus expresses specific virulence factors such as polymorphic toxins and MDAΦ. (b) Meningococci have the ability to survive in the extra cellular fluids including blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The interaction of N. meningitidis with human endothelial cells leads to the formation of typical microcolonies that extend overtime and promote vascular injury, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and acute inflammation. In this review, we will focus on the interplay between N. meningitidis and these two different niches at the cellular and molecular level and discuss the use of inhibitors of piliation as a potent therapeutic approach.
脑膜炎奈瑟菌是一种革兰氏阴性菌，无症状地定植于人类的鼻咽部。由于未知原因，脑膜炎奈瑟菌可以穿过鼻咽部屏障并侵入血液，成为最具危害性的细胞外细菌病原体之一。这个感染周期涉及到两种不同环境的定植。（a）在鼻咽部，脑膜炎奈瑟菌生长在黏液产生上皮细胞的顶部，周围是复杂的微生物群落。为了在这个具有挑战性的环境中生存和生长，脑膜炎球菌表达特定的毒力因子，如多形性毒素和 MDAΦ。（b）脑膜炎奈瑟菌有能力在包括血液和脑脊液在内的细胞外液中存活。脑膜炎奈瑟菌与人内皮细胞的相互作用导致形成典型的微菌落，随着时间的推移而扩展，并促进血管损伤、弥散性血管内凝血和急性炎症。在这篇综述中，我们将重点关注脑膜炎奈瑟菌在细胞和分子水平上与这两种不同生态位的相互作用，并讨论使用菌毛抑制剂作为一种有效的治疗方法。
