Dataset Information

Degradation of the intestinal mucus layer by the ETEC protease EatA is species specific determined by the structure of the MUC2 mucin

ABSTRACT: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infections are a leading cause of diarrheal illness, responsible for an estimated 100,000 deaths annually. ETEC pathogenesis is driven by various virulence factors, including toxins, adhesins, and noncanonical factors such as the protease EatA. The first line of host defense against intestinal pathogenic bacterial infections is the protective intestinal mucus layer. Here, we demonstrate the mechanism by which EatA facilitates access to the epithelial cell surface by degrading the core mucus component MUC2, thereby aiding to the infection. We identify the specific cleavage site region localized at the C-terminal of MUC2. EatA's protease activity depends on the interaction between two distinct domains, which are uniquely spaced in human MUC2, contributing to species specificity. This was confirmed using a novel chimeric mouse model solely expressing human MUC2, which allowed us to study the role of the mucus layer in the infection of human intestinal pathogens. These findings highlight how ETEC has adapted to specifically degrade the mucus layer of its human host.

INSTRUMENT(S):

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (human) Escherichia Coli Etec H10407

TISSUE(S): Intestinal Epithelium

SUBMITTER: S.S van der Post

LAB HEAD: Sjoerd van der Post

PROVIDER: PXD068558 | Pride | 2026-01-19

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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Dataset's files

Source:

			Action	DRS
	180323_QEx_LA_MS628_Cterm_OpeRATOR.raw	Raw
	190328_QExHFx_SVDP_MS674_MUC2C_TMPP.raw	Raw
	200409_QExHF_SVDP_MS717_PTS3_AM.raw	Raw
	230711_QExHFx_SVDP_MS770_6_ME1.raw	Raw
	230711_QExHFx_SVDP_MS770_7_ME2.raw	Raw

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Publications

EatA mediated degradation of intestinal mucus is species-specific and driven by MUC2 structural features.

Trillo-Muyo Sergio S Dolan Brendan B Svensson Frida F Vickers Tim J TJ Arike Liisa L García-Bonete Maria-Jose MJ Gustafsson Jenny K JK Nielsen Mathias I MI Wandall Hans H HH Fleckenstein James M JM Hansson Gunnar C GC van der Post Sjoerd S

Nature communications 20251231 1

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infections are a leading cause of diarrheal illness, responsible for an estimated 100,000 deaths annually. ETEC pathogenesis is driven by various virulence factors, including toxins, adhesins, and noncanonical factors such as the protease EatA. The first line of host defense against intestinal pathogenic bacterial infections is the protective intestinal mucus layer. Here, we demonstrate the mechanism by which EatA degrades the core mucus component MUC2, th ...[more]

PMID: 41476084

Similar Datasets

Project description:The intestinal mucosal barrier is a dynamic system that allows nutrient uptake, stimulates healthy microbe-host interactions, and prevents invasion by pathogens. The mucosa consists of epithelial cells connected by cellular junctions that regulate the passage of nutrients covered by a mucus layer that plays an important role in host-microbiome interactions. Mimicking the intestinal mucosa for in vitro assays, in particular the generation of a viscous mucus layer, has proven to be challenging. Here, we present a novel in vitro intestinal culture model that produces a robust mucus layer and is based on the widely used intestinal Caco-2 cell line. We investigated the effects of air-liquid interface (ALI) culturing compared to liquid-liquid interface (LLI) on Caco-2 cells grown under low-glucose conditions in Transwell plates. In addition, we determined the impact of vasointestinal peptide (VIP) on mucus secretion, epithelial barrier properties and microbe-mucus interactions. A combination of ALI culturing with VIP addition led to formation of a robust mucus layer on the apical surface of the Caco-2 confluent layer in which the intestinal secreted mucin MUC2 was a major component. RNAseq analysis demonstrated upregulation of unique gene clusters in response to ALI and VIP conditions, but the ALI-VIP combination treatment resulted in a significant upregulation of multiple mucin genes and proteins including MUC2, MUC13 and MUC17. Expression of tight junction proteins was significantly altered in the ALI-VIP condition leading to increased permeability to small molecules, more closely reflecting an intestinal epithelium permissive for nutrient uptake. In infection experiments with commensal Lactobacillus plantarum, pathogenic Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, or enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), the ALI-VIP mucus layer separated the bacteria from the underlying epithelium. In conclusion, ALI-VIP culture of Caco-2 cells provides an attractive in vitro model to study the function of the intestinal mucosal barrier and pathogenic and commensal microbe-host interactions.

Project description:Background; MUC2 mucin produced by intestinal goblet cells is the major component of the intestinal mucus barrier. MUC2 homo-oligomerizes intracellularly into large secreted polymers which give mucus its viscous properties. The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ulcerative colitis is characterized by depleted goblet cells and a reduced mucus layer, whereas goblet cells and the mucus layer are increased in the other major inflammatory bowel disease, Crohnâs disease. Methods and Findings; By murine N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-mutagenesis we identified two distinct non-complementing missense mutations in Muc2 exons encoding N- and C-terminal homo-oligomerization domains causing an ulcerative colitis-like phenotype. Both strains developed mild spontaneous distal intestinal inflammation, chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding and prolapse, increased susceptibility to acute and chronic colitis induced by a luminal toxin, aberrant Muc2 biosynthesis, smaller goblet cell thecae (less stored mucin) and a diminished mucus barrier. Enhanced local production of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma was seen in the distal colon. The number of leukocytes within mesenteric lymph nodes was increased five-fold and leukocytes cultured in vitro produced both Th1 and Th2 cytokines (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-13). Intestinal permeability was increased and the luminal bacterial flora were more heavily coated with immunoglobulin as occurs in IBD. This pathology was accompanied by accumulation of the Muc2 precursor and ultrastructural and biochemical evidence of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in goblet cells, activation of the unfolded protein response, and altered intestinal expression of genes involved in ER stress, inflammation, apoptosis and wound repair. Expression of mutated Muc2 oligomerization domains in vitro demonstrated that aberrant Muc2 oligomerization underlies the ER stress. These models show that mutations in Muc2 oligomerization domains can lead to aberrant assembly of the Muc2 complex leading to ER stress, a depleted mucus barrier and intestinal inflammation. In ulcerative colitis we demonstrate similar accumulation of non-glycosylated MUC2 precursor in goblet cells together with ultrastructural and biochemical evidence of ER stress even in non-inflamed intestinal tissue. Conclusions; The observations that mucin misfolding and ER stress lead directly to intestinal inflammation and that ER stress and goblet cell pathology occur in ulcerative colitis suggest that ER stress-related mucin depletion could be a fundamental component of the pathogenesis of colitis. Experiment Overall Design: 3 individual mice from the Eeyore, Winnie or Wild-type strains were compared as groups. An Affymetrix ID was compared between groups if the ID was Present within two of the three mice within each grouping. IDs were compared by calculating the log2 of Group One average signal divided by Group 2 average signal.

Project description:Background MUC2 mucin produced by intestinal goblet cells is the major component of the intestinal mucus barrier. MUC2 homo-oligomerizes intracellularly into large secreted polymers which give mucus its viscous properties. The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ulcerative colitis is characterized by depleted goblet cells and a reduced mucus layer, whereas goblet cells and the mucus layer are increased in the other major inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease. Methods and Findings By murine N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-mutagenesis we identified two distinct non-complementing missense mutations in Muc2 exons encoding N- and C-terminal homo-oligomerization domains causing an ulcerative colitis-like phenotype. Both strains developed mild spontaneous distal intestinal inflammation, chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding and prolapse, increased susceptibility to acute and chronic colitis induced by a luminal toxin, aberrant Muc2 biosynthesis, smaller goblet cell thecae (less stored mucin) and a diminished mucus barrier. Enhanced local production of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma was seen in the distal colon. The number of leukocytes within mesenteric lymph nodes was increased five-fold and leukocytes cultured in vitro produced both Th1 and Th2 cytokines (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-13). Intestinal permeability was increased and the luminal bacterial flora were more heavily coated with immunoglobulin as occurs in IBD. This pathology was accompanied by accumulation of the Muc2 precursor and ultrastructural and biochemical evidence of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in goblet cells, activation of the unfolded protein response, and altered intestinal expression of genes involved in ER stress, inflammation, apoptosis and wound repair. Expression of mutated Muc2 oligomerization domains in vitro demonstrated that aberrant Muc2 oligomerization underlies the ER stress. These models show that mutations in Muc2 oligomerization domains can lead to aberrant assembly of the Muc2 complex leading to ER stress, a depleted mucus barrier and intestinal inflammation. In ulcerative colitis we demonstrate similar accumulation of non-glycosylated MUC2 precursor in goblet cells together with ultrastructural and biochemical evidence of ER stress even in non-inflamed intestinal tissue. Conclusions The observations that mucin misfolding and ER stress lead directly to intestinal inflammation and that ER stress and goblet cell pathology occur in ulcerative colitis suggest that ER stress-related mucin depletion could be a fundamental component of the pathogenesis of colitis. Keywords: Single gene, multiple mutant comparison

Project description:In this study we compared the intestinal mucus phenotype of Clca1-deficient (Clca1-/-) mice and wild-type (WT) controls. The human CLCA1 (chloride channel regulator, calcium-activated) and its murine ortholog mouse CLCA1 (formerly known as CLCA3) are secreted proteins which have been linked to human respiratory diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as to the corresponding murine models of these diseases. Common, disease severity-related features are goblet cell hyperplasia, mucus overproduction and disturbed clearance. Neutralization of mouse CLCA1 ameliorates the symptoms in the asthmatic mouse model and restoration of the decreased mouse CLCA1 protein level in a CF mouse model ameliorates the intestinal CF lesions, pointing toward these proteins being potential therapeutic targets. The expression CLCA1 can be induced in airways but this protein is normally expressed and secreted by goblet cells of the intestinal tract in both human and mouse together with the intestinal MUC2 mucin. This makes CLCA1 a major constituent of the extracellular intestinal mucus in which the MUC2 mucin is the main structural component. To study the possible further effects of murine CLCA1 deficiency on Muc2 and on other important components of the mucus, such as Agr2, Fcgbp, Klk and Zg16, a shotgun label-free proteomics study was performed which compared their relative abundance in the mucus layer, showing a tight and significant correlation between WT and Clca1-/- mucus proteins (Pearson r = 0.931, r2 = 0.868, p < 0.0001, based on 809 valid pairs). No significant differences in known mucus protein expression were observed. However, the abundance of CLCA1 in the mucus together with the domain structure suggests a structural role and other methods to reveal the function of these domains might shed light on the overall function in mucus. Because of its abundance in the mucus and the well preserved structure thought a long evolution together with mucus we still speculate that CLCA1 was developed to protect the expressing organism, although the threat is elusive.