Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Infect Immun. 2021 Sep 16;89(10):e0020121. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00201-21. Epub 2021 Jun 7.
Endophthalmitis is a devastating infection that can cause blindness. Over half of endophthalmitis cases result in significant loss of useful vision. produces many virulence factors that may contribute to retinal damage and robust inflammation. We analyzed immune inhibitor A (InhA) metalloproteases in the context of this disease, hypothesizing that InhAs contribute to intraocular virulence and inflammation. We analyzed phenotypes and infectivity of wild-type (WT), InhA1-deficient (Δ), InhA2-deficient (Δ), or InhA1, A2, and A3-deficient (Δ) Bacillus thuringiensis. analysis of growth, proteolysis, and cytotoxicity were compared. WT and InhA mutants were similarly cytotoxic to retinal cells. The Δ and Δ mutants entered log-phase growth earlier than WT B. thuringiensis. Proteolysis by the Δ mutant was decreased, but this strain grew similar to WT . Experimental endophthalmitis was initiated by intravitreally infecting C57BL/6J mice with 200 CFU of WT B. thuringiensis or InhA mutants. Eyes were analyzed for intraocular and myeloperoxidase concentrations, retinal function loss, and gross histological changes. Eyes infected with the Δ or Δ mutant strains contained greater numbers of bacteria than eyes infected with WT throughout the infection course. Eyes infected with single mutants had inflammation and retinal function loss similar to eyes infected with the WT strain. Eyes infected with the Δ mutant cleared the infection. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results suggested that there may be compensatory expression of the other InhAs in the single InhA mutant. These results indicate that together, the InhA metalloproteases contribute to the severity of infection and inflammation in endophthalmitis.
眼内炎是一种破坏性感染,可导致失明。超过一半的眼内炎病例导致有用视力严重丧失。产生许多毒力因子,可能导致视网膜损伤和强烈的炎症。我们在这种疾病背景下分析了免疫抑制剂 A (InhA) 金属蛋白酶,假设 InhAs 有助于 眼内毒力和炎症。我们分析了野生型 (WT)、InhA1 缺陷型 (Δ)、InhA2 缺陷型 (Δ) 或 InhA1、A2 和 A3 缺陷型 (Δ) 苏云金芽孢杆菌的表型和感染性。比较了生长、蛋白水解和细胞毒性的分析。WT 和 InhA 突变体对视网膜细胞具有相似的细胞毒性。Δ 和 Δ 突变体比 WT B. thuringiensis 更早进入对数生长期。Δ 突变体的蛋白水解减少,但该菌株的生长与 WT 相似。通过向 C57BL/6J 小鼠眼内注射 200 CFU 的 WT B. thuringiensis 或 InhA 突变体,引发实验性眼内炎。分析眼内 和髓过氧化物酶浓度、视网膜功能丧失和大体组织学变化。在整个感染过程中,感染 Δ 或 Δ 突变株的眼睛中细菌数量多于感染 WT 的眼睛。感染单突变株的眼睛的炎症和视网膜功能丧失与感染 WT 菌株的眼睛相似。感染 Δ 突变株的眼睛清除了感染。实时定量 PCR (qRT-PCR) 结果表明,在单 InhA 突变体中,其他 InhAs 可能存在代偿性表达。这些结果表明,InhA 金属蛋白酶共同导致了 眼内炎感染和炎症的严重程度。