Skip to main content
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1990 Feb;58(2):529–535. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.2.529-535.1990

Contribution of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities to Shigella flexneri pathogenesis.

V L Franzon 1, J Arondel 1, P J Sansonetti 1
PMCID: PMC258489  PMID: 2404874

Abstract

A Shigella flexneri serotype 5 strain deficient in the production of the iron-containing superoxide dismutase FeSOD (sodB) and a catalase-negative (katFG) S. flexneri serotype 5 strain were isolated. Both strains were examined for increased sensitivity to oxygen stress by using assays involving killing by mouse peritoneal macrophages and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes as well as infection of rabbit ileal loops. The sodB mutant was extremely sensitive to killing by phagocytes when compared with the wild-type parent, M90T. The catalase mutant also showed an increased sensitivity to killing, but to a much lesser extent. Upon infection of rabbit ileal loops and subsequent histopathological examination, the sodB mutant caused very little detectable damage to intestinal villi. The pattern of infection was roughly similar to that of BS176, an avirulent plasmidless derivative of M90T. The katFG mutant, on the other hand, showed a high degree of destruction, similar to that caused by M90T. This evidence suggests that the superoxide dismutase encoded by sodB may play an important role in the pathogenesis of S. flexneri. In contrast, catalases appear to make a limited contribution to virulence.

Full text

PDF
529

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Archibald F. S., Duong M. N. Superoxide dismutase and oxygen toxicity defenses in the genus Neisseria. Infect Immun. 1986 Feb;51(2):631–641. doi: 10.1128/iai.51.2.631-641.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beauchamp C., Fridovich I. Superoxide dismutase: improved assays and an assay applicable to acrylamide gels. Anal Biochem. 1971 Nov;44(1):276–287. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(71)90370-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bloch C. A., Thorne G. M., Ausubel F. M. General method for site-directed mutagenesis in Escherichia coli O18ac:K1:H7: deletion of the inducible superoxide dismutase gene, sodA, does not diminish bacteremia in neonatal rats. Infect Immun. 1989 Jul;57(7):2141–2148. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.7.2141-2148.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bochner B. R., Huang H. C., Schieven G. L., Ames B. N. Positive selection for loss of tetracycline resistance. J Bacteriol. 1980 Aug;143(2):926–933. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.2.926-933.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Buchmeier N. A., Heffron F. Intracellular survival of wild-type Salmonella typhimurium and macrophage-sensitive mutants in diverse populations of macrophages. Infect Immun. 1989 Jan;57(1):1–7. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.1.1-7.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Böyum A. Isolation of mononuclear cells and granulocytes from human blood. Isolation of monuclear cells by one centrifugation, and of granulocytes by combining centrifugation and sedimentation at 1 g. Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl. 1968;97:77–89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Carlioz A., Touati D. Isolation of superoxide dismutase mutants in Escherichia coli: is superoxide dismutase necessary for aerobic life? EMBO J. 1986 Mar;5(3):623–630. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04256.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Chance B., Sies H., Boveris A. Hydroperoxide metabolism in mammalian organs. Physiol Rev. 1979 Jul;59(3):527–605. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1979.59.3.527. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Christman M. F., Morgan R. W., Jacobson F. S., Ames B. N. Positive control of a regulon for defenses against oxidative stress and some heat-shock proteins in Salmonella typhimurium. Cell. 1985 Jul;41(3):753–762. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(85)80056-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Clare D. A., Blum J., Fridovich I. A hybrid superoxide dismutase containing both functional iron and manganese. J Biol Chem. 1984 May 10;259(9):5932–5936. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Clerc P. L., Ryter A., Mounier J., Sansonetti P. J. Plasmid-mediated early killing of eucaryotic cells by Shigella flexneri as studied by infection of J774 macrophages. Infect Immun. 1987 Mar;55(3):521–527. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.3.521-527.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. English D., Andersen B. R. Single-step separation of red blood cells. Granulocytes and mononuclear leukocytes on discontinuous density gradients of Ficoll-Hypaque. J Immunol Methods. 1974 Aug;5(3):249–252. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(74)90109-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Fields P. I., Swanson R. V., Haidaris C. G., Heffron F. Mutants of Salmonella typhimurium that cannot survive within the macrophage are avirulent. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jul;83(14):5189–5193. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.14.5189. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Filice G. A. Resistance of Nocardia asteroides to oxygen-dependent killing by neutrophils. J Infect Dis. 1983 Nov;148(5):861–867. doi: 10.1093/infdis/148.5.861. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Fridovich I. Superoxide dismutases. Adv Enzymol Relat Areas Mol Biol. 1974;41(0):35–97. doi: 10.1002/9780470122860.ch2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Fridovich I. The biology of oxygen radicals. Science. 1978 Sep 8;201(4359):875–880. doi: 10.1126/science.210504. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Gaillard J. L., Berche P., Sansonetti P. Transposon mutagenesis as a tool to study the role of hemolysin in the virulence of Listeria monocytogenes. Infect Immun. 1986 Apr;52(1):50–55. doi: 10.1128/iai.52.1.50-55.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Enzymatic defenses against the toxicity of oxygen and of streptonigrin in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1977 Mar;129(3):1574–1583. doi: 10.1128/jb.129.3.1574-1583.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Intracellular production of superoxide radical and of hydrogen peroxide by redox active compounds. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1979 Sep;196(2):385–395. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(79)90289-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Regulation of the synthesis of catalase and peroxidase in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1978 Sep 25;253(18):6445–6420. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Regulation of the synthesis of superoxide dismutase in Escherichia coli. Induction by methyl viologen. J Biol Chem. 1977 Nov 10;252(21):7667–7672. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Keele B. B., Jr, McCord J. M., Fridovich I. Superoxide dismutase from escherichia coli B. A new manganese-containing enzyme. J Biol Chem. 1970 Nov 25;245(22):6176–6181. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Loewen P. C., Switala J., Triggs-Raine B. L. Catalases HPI and HPII in Escherichia coli are induced independently. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1985 Nov 15;243(1):144–149. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(85)90782-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Loewen P. C., Triggs B. L. Genetic mapping of katF, a locus that with katE affects the synthesis of a second catalase species in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1984 Nov;160(2):668–675. doi: 10.1128/jb.160.2.668-675.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Loewen P. C., Triggs B. L., George C. S., Hrabarchuk B. E. Genetic mapping of katG, a locus that affects synthesis of the bifunctional catalase-peroxidase hydroperoxidase I in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1985 May;162(2):661–667. doi: 10.1128/jb.162.2.661-667.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Mandell G. L. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, and virulence of Staphylococcus aureus. In vitro and in vivo studies with emphasis on staphylococcal--leukocyte interaction. J Clin Invest. 1975 Mar;55(3):561–566. doi: 10.1172/JCI107963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Maral J., Puget K., Michelson A. M. Comparative study of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase levels in erythrocytes of different animals. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1977 Aug 22;77(4):1525–1535. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(77)80151-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Maurelli A. T., Blackmon B., Curtiss R., 3rd Temperature-dependent expression of virulence genes in Shigella species. Infect Immun. 1984 Jan;43(1):195–201. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.1.195-201.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Maurelli A. T., Sansonetti P. J. Genetic determinants of Shigella pathogenicity. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1988;42:127–150. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.42.100188.001015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. McCord J. M., Day E. D., Jr Superoxide-dependent production of hydroxyl radical catalyzed by iron-EDTA complex. FEBS Lett. 1978 Feb 1;86(1):139–142. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(78)80116-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. McCord J. M., Fridovich I. Superoxide dismutase. An enzymic function for erythrocuprein (hemocuprein). J Biol Chem. 1969 Nov 25;244(22):6049–6055. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. SERENY B. Experimental keratoconjunctivitis shigellosa. Acta Microbiol Acad Sci Hung. 1957;4(4):367–376. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Sakamoto H., Touati D. Cloning of the iron superoxide dismutase gene (sodB) in Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1984 Jul;159(1):418–420. doi: 10.1128/jb.159.1.418-420.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Sansonetti P. J., Kopecko D. J., Formal S. B. Involvement of a plasmid in the invasive ability of Shigella flexneri. Infect Immun. 1982 Mar;35(3):852–860. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.3.852-860.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Sansonetti P. J., Ryter A., Clerc P., Maurelli A. T., Mounier J. Multiplication of Shigella flexneri within HeLa cells: lysis of the phagocytic vacuole and plasmid-mediated contact hemolysis. Infect Immun. 1986 Feb;51(2):461–469. doi: 10.1128/iai.51.2.461-469.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Touati D. Cloning and mapping of the manganese superoxide dismutase gene (sodA) of Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1983 Sep;155(3):1078–1087. doi: 10.1128/jb.155.3.1078-1087.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Touati D. Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of manganese superoxide dismutase biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, studied with operon and protein fusions. J Bacteriol. 1988 Jun;170(6):2511–2520. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.6.2511-2520.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Towbin H., Staehelin T., Gordon J. Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets: procedure and some applications. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Sep;76(9):4350–4354. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.9.4350. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Welch D. F., Sword C. P., Brehm S., Dusanic D. Relationship between superoxide dismutase and pathogenic mechanisms of Listeria monocytogenes. Infect Immun. 1979 Mar;23(3):863–872. doi: 10.1128/iai.23.3.863-872.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Yost F. J., Jr, Fridovich I. An iron-containing superoxide dismutase from Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1973 Jul 25;248(14):4905–4908. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES