Skip to main content
Molecular Biology of the Cell logoLink to Molecular Biology of the Cell
. 1994 Apr;5(4):455–464. doi: 10.1091/mbc.5.4.455

Listeria monocytogenes, an invasive bacterium, stimulates MAP kinase upon attachment to epithelial cells.

P Tang 1, I Rosenshine 1, B B Finlay 1
PMCID: PMC301054  PMID: 8054686

Abstract

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is an important regulatory mechanism for many cellular processes in eucaryotic cells. During the invasion of the gram-positive pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes, into host epithelial cells, two host proteins become tyrosine phosphorylated. We have identified these major tyrosine phosphorylated species to be two isoforms of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, the 42 and 44 kDa MAP kinases. This activation begins within 5 to 15 min of bacterial infection. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, blocks invasion as well as the tyrosine phosphorylation of these MAP kinases. Using cytochalasin D to block bacterial internalization but not adhesion, we showed that bacterial adherence rather than uptake is required for MAP kinase activation. Internalin mutants, which are unable to adhere efficiently to host cells, do not trigger MAP kinase activation. Other invasive bacteria, including enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), and E. coli expressing Yersinia enterocolitica invasion, were not observed to activate MAP kinase during invasion into cultured epithelial cells. These results suggest that L. monocytogenes activates MAP kinase during invasion and a MAP kinase signal transduction pathway may be involved in mediating bacterial uptake.

Full text

PDF
458

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. Abdel-Hafiz H. A., Heasley L. E., Kyriakis J. M., Avruch J., Kroll D. J., Johnson G. L., Hoeffler J. P. Activating transcription factor-2 DNA-binding activity is stimulated by phosphorylation catalyzed by p42 and p54 microtubule-associated protein kinases. Mol Endocrinol. 1992 Dec;6(12):2079–2089. doi: 10.1210/mend.6.12.1337144. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Akiyama T., Ishida J., Nakagawa S., Ogawara H., Watanabe S., Itoh N., Shibuya M., Fukami Y. Genistein, a specific inhibitor of tyrosine-specific protein kinases. J Biol Chem. 1987 Apr 25;262(12):5592–5595. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Anderson N. G., Maller J. L., Tonks N. K., Sturgill T. W. Requirement for integration of signals from two distinct phosphorylation pathways for activation of MAP kinase. Nature. 1990 Feb 15;343(6259):651–653. doi: 10.1038/343651a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bliska J. B., Falkow S. The role of host tyrosine phosphorylation in bacterial pathogenesis. Trends Genet. 1993 Mar;9(3):85–89. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(93)90229-b. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Boulton T. G., Nye S. H., Robbins D. J., Ip N. Y., Radziejewska E., Morgenbesser S. D., DePinho R. A., Panayotatos N., Cobb M. H., Yancopoulos G. D. ERKs: a family of protein-serine/threonine kinases that are activated and tyrosine phosphorylated in response to insulin and NGF. Cell. 1991 May 17;65(4):663–675. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90098-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Campos-González R., Glenney J. R., Jr Temperature-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein kinase in epidermal growth factor-stimulated human fibroblasts. Cell Regul. 1991 Aug;2(8):663–673. doi: 10.1091/mbc.2.8.663. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chakraborty T., Leimeister-Wächter M., Domann E., Hartl M., Goebel W., Nichterlein T., Notermans S. Coordinate regulation of virulence genes in Listeria monocytogenes requires the product of the prfA gene. J Bacteriol. 1992 Jan;174(2):568–574. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.2.568-574.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Chou S. Y., Baichwal V., Ferrell J. E., Jr Inhibition of c-Jun DNA binding by mitogen-activated protein kinase. Mol Biol Cell. 1992 Oct;3(10):1117–1130. doi: 10.1091/mbc.3.10.1117. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Cooper J. A., Hunter T. Major substrate for growth factor-activated protein-tyrosine kinases is a low-abundance protein. Mol Cell Biol. 1985 Nov;5(11):3304–3309. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.11.3304. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Davis R. J. The mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway. J Biol Chem. 1993 Jul 15;268(20):14553–14556. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Dramsi S., Kocks C., Forestier C., Cossart P. Internalin-mediated invasion of epithelial cells by Listeria monocytogenes is regulated by the bacterial growth state, temperature and the pleiotropic activator prfA. Mol Microbiol. 1993 Sep;9(5):931–941. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1993.tb01223.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Drechsel D. N., Hyman A. A., Cobb M. H., Kirschner M. W. Modulation of the dynamic instability of tubulin assembly by the microtubule-associated protein tau. Mol Biol Cell. 1992 Oct;3(10):1141–1154. doi: 10.1091/mbc.3.10.1141. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Farber J. M., Peterkin P. I. Listeria monocytogenes, a food-borne pathogen. Microbiol Rev. 1991 Sep;55(3):476–511. doi: 10.1128/mr.55.3.476-511.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Fleming D. W., Cochi S. L., MacDonald K. L., Brondum J., Hayes P. S., Plikaytis B. D., Holmes M. B., Audurier A., Broome C. V., Reingold A. L. Pasteurized milk as a vehicle of infection in an outbreak of listeriosis. N Engl J Med. 1985 Feb 14;312(7):404–407. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198502143120704. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Freitag N. E., Rong L., Portnoy D. A. Regulation of the prfA transcriptional activator of Listeria monocytogenes: multiple promoter elements contribute to intracellular growth and cell-to-cell spread. Infect Immun. 1993 Jun;61(6):2537–2544. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.6.2537-2544.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Gaillard J. L., Berche P., Frehel C., Gouin E., Cossart P. Entry of L. monocytogenes into cells is mediated by internalin, a repeat protein reminiscent of surface antigens from gram-positive cocci. Cell. 1991 Jun 28;65(7):1127–1141. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90009-n. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Gaillard J. L., Berche P., Mounier J., Richard S., Sansonetti P. In vitro model of penetration and intracellular growth of Listeria monocytogenes in the human enterocyte-like cell line Caco-2. Infect Immun. 1987 Nov;55(11):2822–2829. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.11.2822-2829.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Galán J. E., Pace J., Hayman M. J. Involvement of the epidermal growth factor receptor in the invasion of cultured mammalian cells by Salmonella typhimurium. Nature. 1992 Jun 18;357(6379):588–589. doi: 10.1038/357588a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Gille H., Sharrocks A. D., Shaw P. E. Phosphorylation of transcription factor p62TCF by MAP kinase stimulates ternary complex formation at c-fos promoter. Nature. 1992 Jul 30;358(6385):414–417. doi: 10.1038/358414a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Glenney J. R., Jr Tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins: mediators of signal transduction from the tyrosine kinases. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1992 Mar 16;1134(2):113–127. doi: 10.1016/0167-4889(92)90034-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Gotoh Y., Nishida E., Matsuda S., Shiina N., Kosako H., Shiokawa K., Akiyama T., Ohta K., Sakai H. In vitro effects on microtubule dynamics of purified Xenopus M phase-activated MAP kinase. Nature. 1991 Jan 17;349(6306):251–254. doi: 10.1038/349251a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Gray M. L., Killinger A. H. Listeria monocytogenes and listeric infections. Bacteriol Rev. 1966 Jun;30(2):309–382. doi: 10.1128/br.30.2.309-382.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Gupta S., Seth A., Davis R. J. Transactivation of gene expression by Myc is inhibited by mutation at the phosphorylation sites Thr-58 and Ser-62. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Apr 15;90(8):3216–3220. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.8.3216. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Hahn H., Kaufmann S. H. The role of cell-mediated immunity in bacterial infections. Rev Infect Dis. 1981 Nov-Dec;3(6):1221–1250. doi: 10.1093/clinids/3.6.1221. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Hill T. D., Dean N. M., Mordan L. J., Lau A. F., Kanemitsu M. Y., Boynton A. L. PDGF-induced activation of phospholipase C is not required for induction of DNA synthesis. Science. 1990 Jun 29;248(4963):1660–1663. doi: 10.1126/science.2163545. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Kocks C., Gouin E., Tabouret M., Berche P., Ohayon H., Cossart P. L. monocytogenes-induced actin assembly requires the actA gene product, a surface protein. Cell. 1992 Feb 7;68(3):521–531. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90188-i. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Kohno M. Diverse mitogenic agents induce rapid phosphorylation of a common set of cellular proteins at tyrosine in quiescent mammalian cells. J Biol Chem. 1985 Feb 10;260(3):1771–1779. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. 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]
  29. Leimeister-Wächter M., Domann E., Chakraborty T. The expression of virulence genes in Listeria monocytogenes is thermoregulated. J Bacteriol. 1992 Feb;174(3):947–952. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.3.947-952.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Leimeister-Wächter M., Haffner C., Domann E., Goebel W., Chakraborty T. Identification of a gene that positively regulates expression of listeriolysin, the major virulence factor of listeria monocytogenes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Nov;87(21):8336–8340. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.21.8336. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Lin L. L., Lin A. Y., Knopf J. L. Cytosolic phospholipase A2 is coupled to hormonally regulated release of arachidonic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Jul 1;89(13):6147–6151. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.13.6147. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. MACKANESS G. B. Cellular resistance to infection. J Exp Med. 1962 Sep 1;116:381–406. doi: 10.1084/jem.116.3.381. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Mengaud J., Dramsi S., Gouin E., Vazquez-Boland J. A., Milon G., Cossart P. Pleiotropic control of Listeria monocytogenes virulence factors by a gene that is autoregulated. Mol Microbiol. 1991 Sep;5(9):2273–2283. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1991.tb02158.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Nakajima T., Kinoshita S., Sasagawa T., Sasaki K., Naruto M., Kishimoto T., Akira S. Phosphorylation at threonine-235 by a ras-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade is essential for transcription factor NF-IL6. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Mar 15;90(6):2207–2211. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.6.2207. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Nakamura K. D., Martinez R., Weber M. J. Tyrosine phosphorylation of specific proteins after mitogen stimulation of chicken embryo fibroblasts. Mol Cell Biol. 1983 Mar;3(3):380–390. doi: 10.1128/mcb.3.3.380. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Niebuhr K., Chakraborty T., Rohde M., Gazlig T., Jansen B., Köllner P., Wehland J. Localization of the ActA polypeptide of Listeria monocytogenes in infected tissue culture cell lines: ActA is not associated with actin "comets". Infect Immun. 1993 Jul;61(7):2793–2802. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.7.2793-2802.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Nishida E., Gotoh Y. The MAP kinase cascade is essential for diverse signal transduction pathways. Trends Biochem Sci. 1993 Apr;18(4):128–131. doi: 10.1016/0968-0004(93)90019-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Pace J., Hayman M. J., Galán J. E. Signal transduction and invasion of epithelial cells by S. typhimurium. Cell. 1993 Feb 26;72(4):505–514. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90070-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Payne D. M., Rossomando A. J., Martino P., Erickson A. K., Her J. H., Shabanowitz J., Hunt D. F., Weber M. J., Sturgill T. W. Identification of the regulatory phosphorylation sites in pp42/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase). EMBO J. 1991 Apr;10(4):885–892. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1991.tb08021.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Pelech S. L., Sanghera J. S. MAP kinases: charting the regulatory pathways. Science. 1992 Sep 4;257(5075):1355–1356. doi: 10.1126/science.1382311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Pelech S. L., Sanghera J. S. Mitogen-activated protein kinases: versatile transducers for cell signaling. Trends Biochem Sci. 1992 Jun;17(6):233–238. doi: 10.1016/s0968-0004(00)80005-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Portnoy D. A., Chakraborty T., Goebel W., Cossart P. Molecular determinants of Listeria monocytogenes pathogenesis. Infect Immun. 1992 Apr;60(4):1263–1267. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.4.1263-1267.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Portnoy D. A., Jacks P. S., Hinrichs D. J. Role of hemolysin for the intracellular growth of Listeria monocytogenes. J Exp Med. 1988 Apr 1;167(4):1459–1471. doi: 10.1084/jem.167.4.1459. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Posada J., Sanghera J., Pelech S., Aebersold R., Cooper J. A. Tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of homologous protein kinases during oocyte maturation and mitogenic activation of fibroblasts. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 May;11(5):2517–2528. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.5.2517. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Pulverer B. J., Kyriakis J. M., Avruch J., Nikolakaki E., Woodgett J. R. Phosphorylation of c-jun mediated by MAP kinases. Nature. 1991 Oct 17;353(6345):670–674. doi: 10.1038/353670a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Rosenshine I., Donnenberg M. S., Kaper J. B., Finlay B. B. Signal transduction between enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and epithelial cells: EPEC induces tyrosine phosphorylation of host cell proteins to initiate cytoskeletal rearrangement and bacterial uptake. EMBO J. 1992 Oct;11(10):3551–3560. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05438.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Rosenshine I., Duronio V., Finlay B. B. Tyrosine protein kinase inhibitors block invasin-promoted bacterial uptake by epithelial cells. Infect Immun. 1992 Jun;60(6):2211–2217. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.6.2211-2217.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Ruderman J. V. MAP kinase and the activation of quiescent cells. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 1993 Apr;5(2):207–213. doi: 10.1016/0955-0674(93)90104-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Schlech W. F., 3rd, Lavigne P. M., Bortolussi R. A., Allen A. C., Haldane E. V., Wort A. J., Hightower A. W., Johnson S. E., King S. H., Nicholls E. S. Epidemic listeriosis--evidence for transmission by food. N Engl J Med. 1983 Jan 27;308(4):203–206. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198301273080407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Theriot J. A., Mitchison T. J., Tilney L. G., Portnoy D. A. The rate of actin-based motility of intracellular Listeria monocytogenes equals the rate of actin polymerization. Nature. 1992 May 21;357(6375):257–260. doi: 10.1038/357257a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Tilney L. G., Portnoy D. A. Actin filaments and the growth, movement, and spread of the intracellular bacterial parasite, Listeria monocytogenes. J Cell Biol. 1989 Oct;109(4 Pt 1):1597–1608. doi: 10.1083/jcb.109.4.1597. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Vazquez-Boland J. A., Kocks C., Dramsi S., Ohayon H., Geoffroy C., Mengaud J., Cossart P. Nucleotide sequence of the lecithinase operon of Listeria monocytogenes and possible role of lecithinase in cell-to-cell spread. Infect Immun. 1992 Jan;60(1):219–230. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.1.219-230.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. Weinstein S. L., Sanghera J. S., Lemke K., DeFranco A. L., Pelech S. L. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide induces tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in macrophages. J Biol Chem. 1992 Jul 25;267(21):14955–14962. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Molecular Biology of the Cell are provided here courtesy of American Society for Cell Biology

RESOURCES