C1q binding to surface-bound IgG is stabilized by C1r2s2 proteases.

Complement is an important effector mechanism for antibody-mediated clearance of infections and tumor cells. Upon binding to target cells, the antibody's constant (Fc) domain recruits complement component C1 to initiate a proteolytic cascade that generates lytic pores and stimulates phagocytosis. The C1 complex (C1qr2s2) consists of the large recognition protein C1q and a heterotetramer of proteases C1r and C1s (C1r2s2). While interactions between C1 and IgG-Fc are believed to be mediated by the globular heads of C1q, we here find that C1r2s2 proteases affect the capacity of C1q to form an avid complex with surface-bound IgG molecules (on various 2,4-dinitrophenol [DNP]-coated surfaces and pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus). The extent to which C1r2s2 contributes to C1q-IgG stability strongly differs between human IgG subclasses. Using antibody engineering of monoclonal IgG, we reveal that hexamer-enhancing mutations improve C1q-IgG stability, both in the absence and presence of C1r2s2 In addition, hexamer-enhanced IgGs targeting S. aureus mediate improved complement-dependent phagocytosis by human neutrophils. Altogether, these molecular insights into complement binding to surface-bound IgGs could be important for optimal design of antibody therapies.

The extracellular adherence protein from Staphylococcus aureus inhibits the classical and lectin pathways of complement by blocking formation of the C3 proconvertase.

The pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus actively evades many aspects of human innate immunity by expressing a series of small inhibitory proteins. A number of these proteins inhibit the complement system, which labels bacteria for phagocytosis and generates inflammatory chemoattractants. Although the majority of staphylococcal complement inhibitors act on the alternative pathway to block the amplification loop, only a few proteins act on the initial recognition cascades that constitute the classical pathway (CP) and lectin pathway (LP). We screened a collection of recombinant, secreted staphylococcal proteins to determine whether S. aureus produces other molecules that inhibit the CP and/or LP. Using this approach, we identified the extracellular adherence protein (Eap) as a potent, specific inhibitor of both the CP and LP. We found that Eap blocked CP/LP-dependent activation of C3, but not C4, and that Eap likewise inhibited deposition of C3b on the surface of S. aureus cells. In turn, this significantly diminished the extent of S. aureus opsonophagocytosis and killing by neutrophils. This combination of functional properties suggested that Eap acts specifically at the level of the CP/LP C3 convertase (C4b2a). Indeed, we demonstrated a direct, nanomolar-affinity interaction of Eap with C4b. Eap binding to C4b inhibited binding of both full-length C2 and its C2b fragment, which indicated that Eap disrupts formation of the CP/LP C3 proconvertase (C4b2). As a whole, our results demonstrate that S. aureus inhibits two initiation routes of complement by expression of the Eap protein, and thereby define a novel mechanism of immune evasion.

Staphylococcus aureus Staphopain A inhibits CXCR2-dependent neutrophil activation and chemotaxis.

The CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) on neutrophils, which recognizes chemokines produced at the site of infection, plays an important role in antimicrobial host defenses such as neutrophil activation and chemotaxis. Staphylococcus aureus is a successful human pathogen secreting a number of proteolytic enzymes, but their influence on the host immune system is not well understood. Here, we identify the cysteine protease Staphopain A as a chemokine receptor blocker. Neutrophils treated with Staphopain A are unresponsive to activation by all unique CXCR2 chemokines due to cleavage of the N-terminal domain, which can be neutralized by specific protease inhibitors. Moreover, Staphopain A inhibits neutrophil migration towards CXCR2 chemokines. By comparing a methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain with an isogenic Staphopain A mutant, we demonstrate that Staphopain A is the only secreted protease with activity towards CXCR2. Although the inability to cleave murine CXCR2 limits in-vivo studies, our data indicate that Staphopain A is an important immunomodulatory protein that blocks neutrophil recruitment by specific cleavage of the N-terminal domain of human CXCR2.

Staphylococcus aureus metalloprotease aureolysin cleaves complement C3 to mediate immune evasion.

Complement is one of the first host defense barriers against bacteria. Activated complement attracts neutrophils to the site of infection and opsonizes bacteria to facilitate phagocytosis. The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus has successfully developed ways to evade the complement system, for example by secretion of specific complement inhibitors. However, the influence of S. aureus proteases on the host complement system is still poorly understood. In this study, we identify the metalloprotease aureolysin as a potent complement inhibitor. Aureolysin effectively inhibits phagocytosis and killing of bacteria by neutrophils. Furthermore, we show that aureolysin inhibits the deposition of C3b on bacterial surfaces and the release of the chemoattractant C5a. Cleavage analyses show that aureolysin cleaves the central complement protein C3. Strikingly, there was a clear difference between the cleavages of C3 in serum versus purified conditions. Aureolysin cleaves purified C3 specifically in the α-chain, close to the C3 convertase cleavage site, yielding active C3a and C3b. However, in serum we observe that the aureolysin-generated C3b is further degraded by host factors. We pinpointed these factors to be factor H and factor I. Using an aureolysin mutant in S. aureus USA300, we show that aureolysin is essential and sufficient for C3 cleavage by bacterial supernatant. In short, aureolysin acts in synergy with host regulators to inactivate C3 thereby effectively dampening the host immune response.