Hyaluronan breakdown contributes to immune defense against group A Streptococcus.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) commonly infects human skin and occasionally causes severe and life-threatening invasive diseases. The hyaluronan (HA) capsule of GAS has been proposed to protect GAS from host defense by mimicking endogenous HA, a large and abundant glycosaminoglycan in the skin. However, HA is degraded during tissue injury, and the functions of short-chain HA that is generated during infection have not been studied. To examine the impact of the molecular mass of HA on GAS infection, we established infection models in vitro and in vivo in which the size of HA was defined by enzymatic digestion or custom synthesis. We discovered that conversion of high molecular mass HA to low molecular mass HA facilitated GAS phagocytosis by macrophages and limited the severity of infection in mice. In contrast, native high molecular mass HA significantly impaired internalization by macrophages and increased GAS survival in murine blood. Thus, our data demonstrate that GAS virulence can be influenced by the size of HA derived from both the bacterium and host and suggest that high molecular mass HA facilitates GAS deep tissue infections, whereas the generation of short-chain HA can be protective.

Staphylococcus epidermidis uses distinct mechanisms of biofilm formation to interfere with phagocytosis and activation of mouse macrophage-like cells 774A.1.

Assembly of adherent biofilms is the key mechanism involved in Staphylococcus epidermidis virulence during device-associated infections. Aside from polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), the accumulation-associated protein Aap and the extracellular matrix binding protein Embp act as intercellular adhesins, mediating S. epidermidis cell aggregation and biofilm accumulation. The aim of this study was to investigate structural features of PIA-, Aap-, and Embp-mediated S. epidermidis biofilms in more detail and to evaluate their specific contributions to biofilm-related S. epidermidis immune escape. PIA-, Embp-, and Aap-mediated biofilms exhibited substantial morphological differences. Basically, PIA synthesis induced formation of macroscopically visible, rough cell clusters, whereas Aap- and Embp-dependent biofilms preferentially displayed a smooth layer of aggregated bacteria. On the microscopic level, PIA was found to form a string-like organized extracellular matrix connecting the bacteria, while Embp produced small deposits of intercellular matrix and Aap was strictly localized to the bacterial surface. Despite marked differences, S. epidermidis strains using PIA, Aap, or Embp for biofilm formation were protected from uptake by J774A.1 macrophages, with similarly efficiencies. In addition, compared to biofilm-negative S. epidermidis strains, isogenic biofilm-forming S. epidermidis induced only a diminished inflammatory J774A.1 macrophage response, leading to significantly (88.2 to 88.7%) reduced NF-κB activation and 68.8 to 83% reduced interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) production. Mechanical biofilm dispersal partially restored induction of NF-κB activation, although bacterial cell surfaces remained decorated with the respective intercellular adhesins. Our results demonstrate that distinct S. epidermidis biofilm morphotypes are similarly effective at protecting S. epidermidis from phagocytic uptake and at counteracting macrophage activation, providing novel insights into mechanisms that could contribute to the chronic and persistent course of biofilm-related S. epidermidis foreign material infections.

The giant extracellular matrix-binding protein of Staphylococcus epidermidis mediates biofilm accumulation and attachment to fibronectin.

Virulence of nosocomial pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis is essentially related to formation of adherent biofilms, assembled by bacterial attachment to an artificial surface and subsequent production of a matrix that mediates interbacterial adhesion. Growing evidence supports the idea that proteins are functionally involved in S. epidermidis biofilm accumulation. We found that in S. epidermidis 1585v overexpression of a 460 kDa truncated isoform of the extracellular matrix-binding protein (Embp) is necessary for biofilm formation. Embp is a giant fibronectin-binding protein harbouring 59 Found In Various Architectures (FIVAR) and 38 protein G-related albumin-binding (GA) domains. Studies using defined Embp-positive and -negative S. epidermidis strains proved that Embp is sufficient and necessary for biofilm formation. Further data showed that the FIVAR domains of Embp mediate binding of S. epidermidis to solid-phase attached fibronectin, constituting the first step of biofilm formation on conditioned surfaces. The binding site in fibronectin was assigned to the fibronectin domain type III12. Embp-mediated biofilm formation also protected S. epidermidis from phagocytosis by macrophages. Thus, Embp is a multifunctional cell surface protein that mediates attachment to host extracellular matrix, biofilm accumulation and escape from phagocytosis, and therefore is well suited for promoting implant-associated infections.

Active Immunoprophylaxis and Vaccine Augmentations Mediated by a Novel Plasmid DNA Formulation.

Plasmid DNA (pDNA) gene delivery is a highly versatile technology that has the potential to address a multitude of unmet medical needs. Advances in pDNA delivery to host tissue with the employment of in vivo electroporation (EP) have led to significantly enhanced gene expression and the recent demonstration of clinical efficacy with the platform. Building upon this platform, this study reports that enzyme-mediated modification of the muscle tissue extracellular matrix structure at the site of pDNA delivery operates in a synergistic manner with EP to enhance both local and systemic gene expression further. Specifically, administration of chondroitinase ABC (Cho ABC) to the site of intramuscular delivery of pDNA led to transient disruption of chondroitin sulfate scaffolding barrier, permitting enhanced gene distribution and expression across the tissue. The employment of Cho ABC in combination with CELLECTRA® intramuscular EP resulted in increased gene expression by 5.5-fold in mice and 17.98-fold in rabbits. The study demonstrates how this protocol can be universally applied to an active prophylaxis platform to increase the in vivo production of functional immunoglobulin G, and to DNA vaccine protocols to permit drug dose sparing. The data indicate the Cho ABC formulation to be of significant value upon combination with EP to drive enhanced gene expression levels in pDNA delivery protocols.

Structure and function of the human skin microbiome.

An abundant and diverse collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses inhabits the human skin. These microorganisms vary between individuals and between different sites on the skin. The factors responsible for the unique variability of the skin microbiome are only partly understood, but results suggest that host genetic and environmental influences play a major role. Today, the steady accumulation of data describing the skin microbiome, combined with experiments designed to test the biological functions of surface microbes, has provided new insights into links between human physiology and skin microbiota. This review describes some of the current information regarding the skin microbiome and its impact on human health. Specifically, we summarize the present understanding of the function of microbe-host interactions on the skin and highlight some unique features that distinguish skin commensal organisms from pathogenic microbes.