Role of astroglial Connexin 43 in pneumolysin cytotoxicity and during pneumococcal meningitis.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus (PN) is a major causative agent of bacterial meningitis with high mortality in young infants and elderly people worldwide. The mechanism underlying PN crossing of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and specifically, the role of non-endothelial cells of the neurovascular unit that control the BBB function, remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the astroglial connexin 43 (aCx43), a major gap junctional component expressed in astrocytes, plays a predominant role during PN meningitis. Following intravenous PN challenge, mice deficient for aCx43 developed milder symptoms and showed severely reduced bacterial counts in the brain. Immunofluorescence analysis of brain slices indicated that PN induces the aCx43-dependent destruction of the network of glia

SUBMITTER: Bello C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7793270 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature