Differences in Complement Activation Between Complement-resistant and Complement-sensitive Moraxella (Branhamella) Catarrhalis Strains Occur at the Level of Membrane Attack Complex Formation

Overview

Journal Infect Immun

Publisher American Society for Microbiology

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 1994 Feb 1

PMID 8300216

Citations 19

Authors

C M Verduin

M Jansze

C Hol

T E Mollnes

J Verhoef

H Van Dijk

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The mechanism of resistance to human complement-mediated killing in Moraxella catarrhalis was studied by comparing different complement-sensitive and complement-resistant M. catarrhalis strains in a functional bystander hemolysis assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for soluble terminal complement complexes. Complement-resistant stains appeared to activate complement to the same extent as, or even slightly better than, complement-sensitive strains. This indicates that complement-resistant strains do not inhibit classical or alternative pathway activation but interfere with complement at the level of membrane attack complex formation. A clear difference in dose-response curves for resistant and sensitive strains was observed both in the bystander hemolysis assay and in the ELISA. Complement-resistant strains showed optimum curves, whereas complement-sensitive strains gave almost linear curves. We conclude that resistant strains bind and/or inactivate one of the terminal complement components or intermediates involved in membrane attack complex formation. Trypsin, known to abolish complement resistance, changed the optimum dose-response curve of a resistant strain to a linear one, which strongly suggests that complement resistance is mediated by an M. catarrhalis-associated protein. This protein acts directly or through the binding of a terminal complement inhibitor present in serum.

Citing Articles

Soluble MAC is primarily released from MAC-resistant bacteria that potently convert complement component C5.

Doorduijn D, Lukassen M, van t Wout M, Franc V, Ruyken M, Bardoel B Elife. 2022; 11.

PMID: 35947526 PMC: 9402229. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.77503.

Novel Moraxella catarrhalis prophages display hyperconserved non-structural genes despite their genomic diversity.

Ariff A, Wise M, Kahler C, Tay C, Peters F, Perkins T BMC Genomics. 2015; 16:860.

PMID: 26497500 PMC: 4619438. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2104-1.

Molecular aspects of Moraxella catarrhalis pathogenesis.

de Vries S, Bootsma H, Hays J, Hermans P Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2009; 73(3):389-406, Table of Contents.

PMID: 19721084 PMC: 2738133. DOI: 10.1128/MMBR.00007-09.

Binding of vitronectin by the Moraxella catarrhalis UspA2 protein interferes with late stages of the complement cascade.

Attia A, Ram S, Rice P, Hansen E Infect Immun. 2006; 74(3):1597-611.

PMID: 16495531 PMC: 1418666. DOI: 10.1128/IAI.74.3.1597-1611.2006.

The UspA2 protein of Moraxella catarrhalis is directly involved in the expression of serum resistance.

Attia A, Lafontaine E, Latimer J, Aebi C, Syrogiannopoulos G, Hansen E Infect Immun. 2005; 73(4):2400-10.

PMID: 15784586 PMC: 1087425. DOI: 10.1128/IAI.73.4.2400-2410.2005.

References

Brorson J, Axelsson A, Holm S . Studies on Branhamella Catarrhalis (Neisseria catarrhalis) with special reference to maxillary sinusitis. Scand J Infect Dis. 1976; 8(3):151-5. DOI: 10.3109/inf.1976.8.issue-3.05. View

Borsos T, Rapp H . CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF THE FIRST COMPONENT OF COMPLEMENT AND ITS ASSAY ON A MOLECULAR BASIS. J Immunol. 1963; 91:851-8. View

Neoh S, Gordon T, Roberts-Thomson P . A simple one-step procedure for preparation of C1-deficient human serum. J Immunol Methods. 1984; 69(2):277-80. DOI: 10.1016/0022-1759(84)90325-9. View

Joiner K, Warren K, Hammer C, Frank M . Bactericidal but not nonbactericidal C5b-9 is associated with distinctive outer membrane proteins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Immunol. 1985; 134(3):1920-5. View

Chapman Jr A, Musher D, Jonsson S, Clarridge J, Wallace Jr R . Development of bactericidal antibody during Branhamella catarrhalis infection. J Infect Dis. 1985; 151(5):878-82. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/151.5.878. View

Mollnes T, Lea T, HARBOE M, Tschopp J . Monoclonal antibodies recognizing a neoantigen of poly(C9) detect the human terminal complement complex in tissue and plasma. Scand J Immunol. 1985; 22(2):183-95. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1985.tb01870.x. View

Mollnes T, Lea T, Froland S, HARBOE M . Quantification of the terminal complement complex in human plasma by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on monoclonal antibodies against a neoantigen of the complex. Scand J Immunol. 1985; 22(2):197-202. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1985.tb01871.x. View

Hager H, Verghese A, Alvarez S, Berk S . Branhamella catarrhalis respiratory infections. Rev Infect Dis. 1987; 9(6):1140-9. DOI: 10.1093/clinids/9.6.1140. View

Murphy B, Kirszbaum L, Walker I, dApice A . SP-40,40, a newly identified normal human serum protein found in the SC5b-9 complex of complement and in the immune deposits in glomerulonephritis. J Clin Invest. 1988; 81(6):1858-64. PMC: 442636. DOI: 10.1172/JCI113531. View

10.

Brandtzaeg P, Mollnes T, Kierulf P . Complement activation and endotoxin levels in systemic meningococcal disease. J Infect Dis. 1989; 160(1):58-65. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/160.1.58. View

11.

Soto-Hernandez J, Harvill L, Berk S . Phenotypic characteristics of Branhamella catarrhalis strains. J Clin Microbiol. 1989; 27(5):903-8. PMC: 267452. DOI: 10.1128/jcm.27.5.903-908.1989. View

12.

WATSON D, Musher D . Interruption of capsule production in Streptococcus pneumonia serotype 3 by insertion of transposon Tn916. Infect Immun. 1990; 58(9):3135-8. PMC: 313622. DOI: 10.1128/iai.58.9.3135-3138.1990. View

13.

CATLIN B . Branhamella catarrhalis: an organism gaining respect as a pathogen. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1990; 3(4):293-320. PMC: 358165. DOI: 10.1128/CMR.3.4.293. View

14.

Mandrell R, Kim J, John C, Gibson B, Sugai J, Apicella M . Endogenous sialylation of the lipooligosaccharides of Neisseria meningitidis. J Bacteriol. 1991; 173(9):2823-32. PMC: 207863. DOI: 10.1128/jb.173.9.2823-2832.1991. View

15.

Boyle F, Georghiou P, Tilse M, McCormack J . Branhamella (Moraxella) catarrhalis: pathogenic significance in respiratory infections. Med J Aust. 1991; 154(9):592-6. DOI: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1991.tb121219.x. View

16.

Densen P . Complement deficiencies and meningococcal disease. Clin Exp Immunol. 1991; 86 Suppl 1:57-62. PMC: 1554037. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1991.tb06209.x. View

17.

Parsons N, Curry A, Fox A, Jones D, Cole J, Smith H . The serum resistance of gonococci in the majority of urethral exudates is due to sialylated lipopolysaccharide seen as a surface coat. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1992; 69(3):295-9. DOI: 10.1016/0378-1097(92)90663-9. View

18.

Preissner K . Structure and biological role of vitronectin. Annu Rev Cell Biol. 1991; 7:275-310. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.cb.07.110191.001423. View

19.

Verduin C, Hol C, Bootsma H, Verhoef J, Van Dijk H . Observations on constitutional resistance to infection. Immunol Today. 1993; 14(1):44-5. DOI: 10.1016/0167-5699(93)90329-j. View

20.

Milis L, Morris C, Sheehan M, Charlesworth J, Pussell B . Vitronectin-mediated inhibition of complement: evidence for different binding sites for C5b-7 and C9. Clin Exp Immunol. 1993; 92(1):114-9. PMC: 1554864. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1993.tb05956.x. View