in-vitro-vivo-model-to-study-bacterial-adhesion-to-vessel-wall-under

<em>In Vitro</em> and <em>In Vivo</em> Model to Study Bacterial Adhesion to the Vessel Wall Under Flow Conditions

In order to cause endovascular infections and infective endocarditis, bacteria need to be able to adhere to the vessel wall while being exposed to the ...

KU Leuven

Adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to blood vessels under shear stress requires von Willebrand factor (VWF). Several bacterial factors have been proposed to interact with VWF, including VWF-binding protein (vWbp), a secreted coagulase that activates the host's prothrombin to generate fibrin. We measured the adhesion of S aureus Newman and a vWbp-deficient mutant (vwb) to VWF, collagen, and activated endothelial cells in a microparallel flow chamber. In vivo adhesion of S aureus was evaluated in the mesenteric circulation of wild-type (WT) and VWF-deficient mice. We found a shear-dependent increase in adhesion of S aureus to the (sub)endothelium that was dependent on interactions between vWbp and the A1-domain of VWF. Adhesion was further enhanced by coagulase-mediated fibrin formation that clustered bacteria and recruited platelets into bacterial microthrombi. In vivo, deficiency of vWbp or VWF as well as inhibition of coagulase activity reduced S aureus adhesion. We conclude that vWbp contributes to vascular adhesion of S aureus through 2 independent mechanisms: shear-mediated binding to VWF and activation of prothrombin to form S aureus-fibrin-platelet aggregates.

Adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to the vessel wall under flow is mediated by von Willebrand factor-binding protein.

Background Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a frequent cause of skin and soft tissue infections. A unique feature of S. aureus is the combined presence of coagulases that trigger fibrin formation and of the plasminogen activator staphylokinase (SAK). Whereas the importance of fibrin generation for S. aureus virulence has been established, the role of SAK remains unclear.We studied the role of plasminogen activation by SAK in a skin infection model in mice and evaluated the impact of alpha-2-antiplasmin (¿2AP) deficiency on the spreading and proteolytic activity of S. aureus skin infections. The species-selectivity of SAK was overcome by adenoviral expression of human plasminogen. Bacterial spread and density was assessed non-invasively by imaging the bioluminescence of S. aureus Xen36.ResultsSAK-mediated plasmin activity increased the local invasiveness of S. aureus, leading to larger lesions with skin disruption as well as decreased bacterial clearance by the host. Even though fibrin and bacterial surfaces protected SAK-mediated plasmin activity from inhibition by ¿2AP, the deficiency of ¿2AP resulted in increased bacterial spreading. SAK-mediated plasmin also induced secondary activation of gelatinases, shown both in vitro and in lesions from the in vivo model.ConclusionSAK contributes to the phenotype of S. aureus skin infections by enhancing bacterial spreading as a result of fibrinolytic and proteolytic activation.

Jorien Claes

Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology,
Department of Cardiovascular Sciences,
Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences

KU Leuven

In Vitro and In Vivo Model to Study Bacterial Adhesion to the Vessel Wall Under Flow Conditions

Jorien Claes

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology,Department of Cardiovascular Sciences,Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences

KU Leuven

In Vitro and In Vivo Model to Study Bacterial Adhesion to the Vessel Wall Under Flow Conditions

Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology,
Department of Cardiovascular Sciences,
Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences