RfeA from Streptococcus suis serotype 2 triggers NLRP3/Caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis leading to blood-brain barrier disruption.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is a prominent pathogen that impacts swine and presents a zoonotic threat to humans; it is a cause of bacterial meningitis, a severe condition linked to neurological impairment and elevated mortality rates. For SS2 to access the central nervous system, it must traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB); however, the precise mechanisms underlying this process remain incompletely elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that the RTX family exoprotein A (RfeA), which is secreted by SS2, can be internalized by human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs) via a caveolae/lipid raft-dependent pathway. RfeA subsequently induces pyroptosis through the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway, a process attributed to the increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtRO

SUBMITTER: Gao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12465831 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature