The Direct Anti-Virulence but Not Bactericidal Activity of Human Neutrophil Elastase against Moraxella catarrhalis.

ABSTRACT: Neutrophil elastase (NE) contributes to innate antibacterial defense at both the intracellular (phagocytosis) and extracellular (degranulation, NETosis) levels. Moraxella catarrhalis, a human respiratory pathogen, can exist in an inflammatory milieu which contains NE. No data are available on the action of NE against M. catarrhalis or on the counteraction of NE-dependent host defenses by this pathogen. Using time-kill assays we found that bacteria are able to survive and replicate in the presence of NE. Transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry studies with NE-treated bacteria revealed that while NE admittedly destabilizes the outer membrane leaflet, it does not cause cytoplasmic membrane rupture, suggesting that the enzyme does not target components that are essent

SUBMITTER: Roszkowiak J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10094786 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature