Interactions between the Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans secretin HofQ and host cytokines indicate a link between natural competence and interleukin-8 uptake.

ABSTRACT: Naturally competent bacteria acquire DNA from their surroundings to survive in nutrient-poor environments and incorporate DNA into their genomes as new genes for improved survival. The secretin HofQ from the oral pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans has been associated with DNA uptake. Cytokine sequestering is a potential virulence mechanism in various bacteria and may modulate both host defense and bacterial physiology. The objective of this study was to elucidate a possible connection between natural competence and cytokine uptake in A. actinomycetemcomitans. The extramembranous domain of HofQ (emHofQ) was shown to interact with various cytokines, of which IL-8 exhibited the strongest interaction. The dissociation constant between emHofQ and IL-8 was 43 nM in static settings an

SUBMITTER: Ahlstrand T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6086316 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature