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Originally published In Press as doi:10.1074/jbc.M108135200 on December 19, 2001
J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 277, Issue 9, 7438-7446, March 1, 2002
Nuclear Factor- B Directs Carcinoembryonic Antigen-related
Cellular Adhesion Molecule 1 Receptor Expression in
Neisseria gonorrhoeae-infected Epithelial
Cells*
Petra
Muenzner,
Oliver
Billker,
Thomas F.
Meyer , and
Michael
Naumann
From the Max-Planck-Institute of Infection Biology, Department of
Molecular Biology, Schumannstrasse 21/22, Berlin 10117, Germany
Received for publication, August 23, 2001, and in revised form, December 19, 2001
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ABSTRACT |
The human-specific pathogen Neisseria
gonorrhoeae expresses opacity-associated (Opa) protein adhesins
that bind to various members of the carcinoembryonic antigen-related
cellular adhesion molecule (CEACAM) family. In this study, we have
analyzed the mechanism underlying N. gonorrhoeae-induced
CEACAM up-regulation in epithelial cells. Epithelial cells represent
the first barrier for the microbial pathogen. We therefore
characterized CEACAM expression in primary human ovarian surface
epithelial (HOSE) cells and found that CEACAM1-3 (L, S) and CEACAM1-4
(L, S) splice variants mediate an increased
Opa52-dependent gonoccocal binding to HOSE
cells. Up-regulation of these CEACAM molecules in HOSE cells is a
direct process that takes place within 2 h postinfection and
depends on close contact between microbial pathogen and HOSE cells.
N. gonorrhoeae-triggered CEACAM1 up-regulation involves activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor B (NF- B), which translocates as a p50/p65 heterodimer into the nucleus, and an
NF- B-specific inhibitory peptide inhibited CEACAM1-receptor up-regulation in N. gonorrhoeae-infected HOSE cells.
Bacterial lipopolysaccharides did not induce NF- B and CEACAM
up-regulation, which corresponds to our findings that HOSE cells do not
express toll-like receptor 4. The ability of N. gonorrhoeae
to up-regulate its epithelial receptor CEACAM1 through NF- B suggests
an important mechanism allowing efficient bacterial colonization during
the initial infection process.
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INTRODUCTION |
During natural infections, pathogenic Neisseria species
primarily colonize epithelial cells of the human nasopharynx or
urogenital tract. Among the virulence factors involved in mucosal
colonization, the colony opacity-associated
(Opa)1 proteins are believed
to play an important role as bacterial adhesins and invasins. The Opa
proteins are a family of functionally and antigenically diverse outer
membrane proteins. The gonococcal chromosome contains up to 11 unlinked
alleles encoding distinct Opa variants (1). Each variant is
independently regulated by phase variation, resulting in a
heterogeneous population of bacteria expressing no, one, or several Opa
variants (2). Bacteria recovered from natural infections and following
inoculation of human volunteers with Opa bacteria are
mostly Opa+, suggesting an important role for the Opa
adhesins during infection (3, 4). Using recombinant Escherichia
coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains, we have
previously characterized the receptor specificities of all Opa variants
of the MS11 strain of N. gonorrhoeae (1, 5). These and other
studies have revealed that a minority of Opa proteins can target
Neisseria species to heparan sulfate proteoglycan receptors
(6, 7) and, via binding to vitronectin and fibronectin, to cell surface
integrins (8, 9). Most Opa variants characterized to date interact with
the family of human carcinoembryonic antigen-related cellular adhesion
molecules (5, 10-15). Whereas some Opa proteins may interact with both heparan sulfate proteoglycan and CEACAM receptors (12, 16), each
variant appears to mediate host cell invasion only via either one or
the other receptor class. These different binding specificities may
have important implications for the pathogenic process of Neisseria, since the distribution pattern of each CEACAM
receptor should influence the cellular tropism of neisserial strains
expressing different Opa variants in vivo. In addition, very
different cellular processes have been linked to individual CEA family
members (17-21), suggesting that the cellular response to neisserial
binding depends upon the specific combination of CEACAM receptors
engaged on certain cell types.
CEACAM1 (BGP, CD66a), CEACAM3 (CGM1, CD66d), CEA (CD66e), and CEACAM6
(NCA, CD66c) (see Ref. 22 for changes in nomenclature) serve as
receptors for the pathogenic Neisseria species (5, 10, 12,
13). All of these receptors can mediate gonococcal invasion when
recombinantly expressed in a CEACAM-negative epithelial cell line (5,
12, 13) The closely related molecules CEACAM4, CEACAM7, and CEACAM8 are
not recognized by any Opa variants tested to date (23). Each CEACAM
receptor consists of an immunoglobulin variable-like domain followed by
a variable number of IgC2 constant-like domains (17). CEA, CEACAM6,
CEACAM7, and CEACAM8 are glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked to the
cell surface, whereas CEACAM1 and CEACAM3 are inserted into the
cellular membrane via a carboxyl-terminal transmembrane and cytoplasmic
domain (24-27). Despite the fact that each receptor is highly
glycosylated, binding is a protein-protein interaction with Opa
proteins recognizing CEACAM residues exposed on the GFCC' face of the
amino-terminal domain (28). Several different splice variants of
CEACAM1 and CEACAM3 exist. All contain the N-terminal domain but differ
in the number of extracellular IgC-like domains and the length of their
cytoplasmic domains (29, 30).
CEACAM receptors mediate intercellular adhesion via both homotypic
(CEACAM1, CEA, and CEACAM6) and/or heterotypic (CEA-CEACAM6 and
CEACAM6-CEACAM8) interactions (31, 32). It has been demonstrated that
the N domain is directly involved in the cell adhesion phenomena. CEACAM1 and CEACAM6 are also involved in the adherence of activated neutrophils to cytokine-activated endothelial cells, both directly through their ability to present the sialylated Lewisx
antigen to E-selectin and indirectly by the CEACAM6-stimulated activation of CD18 integrins (18). The role of CEACAM receptors is not,
however, restricted to simple anchorage to adjacent cells, since
various receptors can influence cell cycle control and cellular differentiation. For example, CEACAM1 expression inhibits the proliferation of mouse colonic carcinoma cells both in vitro
and in vivo. This effect was abrogated by deleting the
receptor's cytoplasmic domain, suggesting an important role for
CEACAM1-mediated signaling in this event (33, 34). Such a
growth-inhibitory effect is consistent with clinical observations that
CEACAM1 expression is down-regulated in various colonic carcinomas (35,
36). Altogether, these features imply an important role for members of
the CEACAM receptor family as sensory and regulatory molecules in
cell-cell adhesion events (37).
CEACAM1, CEACAM3, and CEACAM6 are expressed by human polymorphonuclear
neutrophils (PMNs) and can mediate gonococcal binding and
opsonin-independent phagocytosis by these phagocytes (10, 11, 14, 38).
This interaction appears to play a central role in the pathogenic
process, since a urethral exudate consisting primarily of PMNs
associated with both intracellular and extracellularly attached
gonococci is the hallmark of gonorrhea. CEACAM receptors expressed by
other cells also appear to play an important role during other stages
of neisserial infection. Polarized T84 epithelial cells express
CEACAM1, CEA, and CEACAM6 on their apical surface, and Opa binding to
these receptors mediates bacterial uptake, cellular transcytosis, and
release at the basolateral surface (39). This is consistent with
previous findings that N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis appear in the subepithelial layers following the
in vitro infection of organ cultures (40).
We could previously show that N. gonorrhoeae
induces directly CEACAM1 receptor expression in human umbilical vein
endothelial cells (HUVECs) (41). In the endothelial cell model,
expression of CEACAM1 was induced by LPS via a toll-like receptor-4
(TLR-4)-dependent activation of nuclear factor B
(NF- B). This increased expression of CEACAM1 correlates with an
increased adherence and invasion of different Opa-expressing bacteria
into these cells in vitro (5, 15, 41). We were therefore
interested in determining whether gonococci were also capable of
inducing their cellular receptor in epithelial cells that form the
first mechanical barrier and primary site of infection. In the present
study, we demonstrate that N. gonorrhoeae infection
stimulates directly CEACAM1 receptor expression in human ovarian
surface epithelial (HOSE) cells. We are able to show that up-regulation
of CEACAM1 expression in HOSE cells is not due to an autocrine loop via
TNF . As in HUVECs, CEACAM1 expression is regulated through
activation of NF- B. However, in contrast to HUVECs, up-regulation of
CEACAM1 in HOSE cells is an LPS/TLR-4-independent event that critically
depends on a direct interaction of gonococci with HOSE cells. The newly
expressed CEACAM1 receptor allows gonococci to establish a tight,
Opa-dependent anchorage to the epithelia and may lead to
bacterial uptake into the target cells.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS |
Cell Lines--
Primary HOSE cells that had been isolated
and immortalized as previously described (42) were grown in M199 and
MCDB-104 medium (1:1) (Invitrogen) with 10% heat-inactivated
fetal calf serum in a humidified atmosphere at 37 °C with 5%
CO2. Epithelial cells were grown to form a confluent
monolayer and then seeded to new flasks or into wells containing glass
coverslips to obtain a confluence of about 60%. HUVECs were obtained
from human umbilical vein by chymotrypsin digestion as described
previously (43), cultured in low serum endothelial growth medium
(PromoCell, Heidelberg, Germany), and used between passages 4 and 5. Human PMNs were isolated from venous blood of healthy donors as
described previously (44). The construction of stably transfected HeLa
cell lines expressing CEA and CEACAM1 was described previously
(45).
Bacterial Strains--
The strains of N. gonorrhoeae
MS11 expressing defined recombinant Opa variants were described
previously (1). Strains N309 and N313 invariantly synthesize the
CEACAM-binding Opa proteins Opa52 and Opa57,
respectively. Strain N303 expresses the heparan sulfate-binding
Opa50. In these strains, the cloned opa genes were expressed in the genetic background of the MS11 derivative N279,
which lacks pili and carries a deletion in the epithelial cell
invasion-associated opaC30 locus. N280 is a piliated variant of N279 (Opa , P+) (1). Daily subculture of
all strains was carried out using a binocular microscope to select for
desired Opa phenotypes, and Opa protein expression was verified by
SDS-PAGE and immunoblot using the monoclonal antibody 4B12C11 (46) for
the detection of Opa proteins.
Bacterial Infection Assays and Stimulation of HOSE
Cells--
For infection experiments, HOSE cells were seeded into
75-cm2 flasks to obtain cultures at about 70% confluence
at the time of infection. One night before infection, the medium was
changed to M199 medium (Invitrogen) supplemented with 2%
heat-inactivated fetal calf serum. Gonococci were harvested from fresh
overnight cultures into M199 medium containing 2% heat-inactivated
fetal calf serum to obtain a culture density of 108
colony-forming units/ml and then used to infect the cells at a
multiplicity of infection of 30 bacteria/cell for the indicated periods. For immunofluorescence analysis, HOSE cells were infected as
outlined above, except that cells were initially seeded onto 12-mm
glass coverslips, and the samples were fixed after the final washing
step postinfection by incubating in 3.7% paraformaldehyde in 200 mM HEPES buffer (pH 7.4) for 30 min at room temperature. To
determine levels of gonococcal adherence and invasion, the gonococci
were stained for immunofluorescence and then analyzed by confocal
laser-scanning microscopy as described previously (15, 39). The
visualization of bacterial interactions with the CEACAM1 receptor was
also analyzed by confocal laser microscopy using the anti-CEACAM mouse
monoclonal antibody D14HD11. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated goat
anti-mouse and goat anti-rabbit antibodies (Dianova) were used as
secondary antibodies. Tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate-phalloidin was used to visualize cellular actin. To quantitate total cell-associated bacteria in plating assays, cells
were infected in 24-well plates. After the infection periods indicated,
monolayers were washed three times with 1 ml of medium and lysed with
1% saponin in M199 for 10 min. Gonococci were suspended by vigorous
pipetting, and colony-forming units in the lysates were determined by
plating of serial dilutions. A polyclonal rabbit antiserum raised
against human carcinoembryonic antigen (A0115) and control rabbit
immunoglobulins (X0936) were purchased from DAKO (Glostrup, Denmark),
and immunoglobulins were purified over a protein G column. To block
CEACAM receptors, cells were incubated with purified specific or
control immunoglobulins at 20 µg/ml for 30 min at 37 °C before
infection. Where indicated, cells were stimulated with TNF (BD
PharMingen, San Diego) or with LPS prepared from E. coli
serotype O111:B4 by phenol extraction (Sigma). Suspensions of LPS were
prepared by sonication in endotoxin-free water (Invitrogen) to disperse
any aggregates formed and were then diluted to the indicated final
concentration in supplemented medium.
FACS Analysis--
HOSE cells were analyzed using a FACS-Calibur
(Becton Dickinson, Heidelberg, Germany) and the Cellquest software
(Becton Dickinson). The CEACAM-specific, mouse-derived monoclonal
antibodies (mAbs) 4/3/17 (anti-CEACAM1/CEA), 9A6 (anti-CEACAM6), and
COL1 (anti-CEA/CEACAM3) were used for primary labeling and were
described previously (47-49). The background fluorescence was
determined using isotype-matched mouse IgG as a negative control.
Immunoblotting--
CEACAM1 protein expression in response to
exposure to bacterial strains, TNF , or other stimuli was determined
by immunoblot analysis of total cellular protein essentially as
described before (15). Protein concentration in each sample was
determined by colorimetric Bradford protein assay (Bio-Rad), and equal
amounts of protein were separated by SDS-PAGE and blotted onto
Immobilon P transfer membranes (Millipore Corp.). Western blot analysis was performed using the CEACAM1-specific monoclonal antibody TEC-11 (50); the CEACAM1, CEACAM3, CEA, and CEACAM6 cross-specific monoclonal
antibody D14HD11; the CEACAM6-specific antibody 9A6 (Immunotech,
Marseille, France); the CEACAM1 and CEA cross-specific antibody 4/3/17;
and the CEA and CEACAM3 cross-specific antibody COL1. Bound antibodies
were detected using a peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-mouse secondary
antibody and the ECL chemiluminescence detection system (Amersham
Pharmacia Biotech). To test for I  degradation, cytosolic
fractions obtained from HOSE cells exposed to various stimuli were
analyzed by immunoblot analysis using an I   specific
polyclonal antibody that does not cross-react with other I family
members (C-21; Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA).
Coomassie Blue-stained gels were generally used as a control to assure
that equal protein amounts were applied (data not shown).
ELISA--
Cytokines were assayed in the supernatants of
Neisseria-infected HOSE cells at different time points.
TNF ELISAs were performed as described in the manufacturer's
instructions (ELISA BIOSOURCE Europe S.A.).
Inhibitor Experiments--
NF- B SN50 (BIOMOL Research
Laboratories, Inc.) is a cell-permeable peptide that inhibits the
translocation of active NF- B complex into the nucleus. To confirm
the role of NF- B in CEACAM expression, cells were pretreated with 50 µg/ml of this peptide for 30 min at 37 °C before TNF or the
bacteria was added.
Reverse Transcription (RT)-PCR Analysis--
Total RNA was
isolated from HOSE cells that had been treated with various stimuli, as
indicated, using either the SV Total RNA Isolation System (Promega) or
the Qiagen RNeasy Kit, as outlined by the manufacturers, and then
treated further with RNase-free DNase I. Equal amounts of RNA were
reverse transcribed into single-stranded cDNA using Superscript
IIRT (Invitrogen) and oligo(dT) primers. As a control for chromosomal
DNA contamination, RNA was used directly for PCR amplification.
Subsequent amplification of CEACAM1 was carried out using
CEACAM1-specific primers for 30 cycles at 56 °C annealing
temperature. The differential amplification of CEACAM1 splice variants
was performed using Taq polymerase (Invitrogen) for 30 cycles with an annealing temperature of 56 °C. The primers used were
5' (ACAGTCAAGACGATCATAGT) and 3' (ATCTTGTTAGGTGGGTCATT), resulting in
amplified fragments in the DNA sequence as previously described (51).
To detect Toll-like receptor expression, PCR amplification of the
cDNA template was performed using Taq polymerase for 28 cycles at 95 °C for 40 s, 54 °C for 40 s, and 72 °C
for 1 min. PCR primers used for TLR-2 were GCCAAAGTCTCTTGATTGATTCC and
TTGAAGTTCTCCAGCTCCTG, and those used for TLR-4 were
TGGATACGTTTCCTTATAAG and GAAATGGAGGCACCCCTTC (52). Primers specific for
the constitutively expressed housekeeping gene -actin were also
included within the reaction mixture to provide an internal control
that allowed samples to be equally loaded. In each case, PCR products
were visualized by ethidium bromide staining after agarose gel electrophoresis.
Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay--
After the indicated
periods of infection, cytoplasmic and nuclear extracts were prepared
using the nonionic detergent method described previously (53). Gel
retardation assays for the detection of the active NF- B complex were
performed with an Ig oligonucleotide that had been labeled using the
large fragment DNA polymerase (Klenow) in the presence of
[ -32P]deoxy-ATP. The DNA-binding reactions were
performed in 20 µl of binding buffer for 20 min at 30 °C.
Competition experiments and supershift assays were performed with
antibodies as previously described (53). The reaction products were
analyzed by electrophoresis in a 5% polyacrylamide gel using 12.5 mM Tris, 12.5 mM boric acid, and 0.25 mM EDTA, pH 8.3. Gels were then dried and exposed to Amersham TM films (Amersham Biosciences, Inc.) at 70 °C using an
intensifying screen.
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RESULTS |
Characterization of the CEACAM Expression Pattern on HOSE
Cells--
In search of a suitable human cell line to study CEACAM1
regulation, we first examined CEACAM receptor expression by various carcinoma cell lines commonly used to study Neisseria host
cell interactions. A HeLa cervix carcinoma cell line and a HEC-1-B endometrial carcinoma line were found to be negative for CEACAM expression and unresponsive to TNF , whereas ME-180 cervix carcinoma cells produced high levels of CEA and CEACAM6 but no CEACAM1. These
findings were consistent with the frequently observed dysregulation of
CEACAM expression in carcinoma cell lines and further suggested that
primary epithelial cells would be a more suitable model to study
transcriptional regulation of CEACAM1 expression. We therefore characterized CEACAM expression in HOSE cells that were derived from
primary human ovarian epithelium and immortalized by a retroviral vector expressing human papilloma viral oncogenes E6 and E7 (42).
The CEACAM expression pattern of HOSE cells was analyzed by FACS
analysis (Fig. 1A) using the
monoclonal antibodies 4/3/17 (anti-CEACAM1/CEA), 9A6 (anti-CEACAM6),
and COL-1 (anti-CEACAM3/CEA). COL-1 did not label HOSE cells, showing
that they expressed neither CEACAM3 nor CEA. The clear peak detected by
the cross-specific mAb 4/3/17 therefore represents CEACAM1. The mAb 9A6
additionally detected very low level expression of CEACAM6. These
results were confirmed by Western blot analysis (Fig. 1B).
Cellular lysates were prepared at different time points after infection
with N309 (Opa52) or stimulation with TNF . PMNs,
expressing CEACAM1, CEACAM3, and CEACAM6, and HeLa cells stably
transfected with CEA were used as controls. Expression of CEACAM1 was
detected using the mAb TEC-11, which specifically recognizes the A2
domain that is found exclusively in some splice variants of CEACAM1.
This result was verified by using the cross-reactive N domain mAb
4/3/17, which recognizes both CEACAM1 and CEA. Western blot analysis
confirmed that CEACAM1 is expressed on HOSE cells. Furthermore, the
CEACAM1 receptor expression was found to be up-regulated during
neisserial infection and stimulation with TNF . The significant
up-regulation of CEACAM1 receptor expression starts already 2 h
after infection (Fig. 1B).

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Fig. 1.
Characterization of the CEACAM expression
pattern on ovarian surface epithelial cells (HOSE). A,
FACS analysis of CEACAM expression pattern. Staining with the
cross-specific mAb 4/3/17 (CEACAM1/CEA) shows expression of
CEACAM1 (left panel), since staining with another
cross-specific mAb, COL-1 (CEA/CEACAM3), was negative (right
panel). Little amounts of CEACAM6 were detected using the
specific mAb 9A6. Dead cells were excluded from the histograms by
staining with propidium iodide. Red lines,
isotype control; black lines: anti-CEACAM
antibodies. B, characterization of the CEACAM expression
pattern using Western blot analysis. HOSE cells were either infected
with N309 (Opa52) or stimulated with 10 ng/ml TNF . At
the indicated periods of time, the cell lysates were harvested and
analyzed by Western blot analysis using the CEACAM1 receptor-specific
monoclonal antibody TEC-11 or the cross-specific monoclonal mAbs 4/3/17
and COL-1. PMNs and HeLa cells stably transfected with CEA were used as
controls.
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Interaction of Opa Variants with HOSE Cells--
To further
characterize HOSE cells as a model cell line for Opa-mediated
gonococcal infection, cells were infected with isogenic strains
expressing defined and functionally distinct Opa variants. Infected
cells were fixed after 30 min, followed by immunocytochemical staining
and confocal laser-scanning microscopy. As illustrated in Fig.
2, HOSE cells infected with N309
(Opa52) and N303 (Opa50) showed an equally
strong adherence, whereas the association of N302 (Opa )
gonococci was only very weak (data not shown). Only
Opa52-expressing gonococci recruited CEACAM1, resulting in
a strong co-localization of the bacteria with CEACAM1 molecules that is
typical of CEACAM-mediated adherence. In contrast, N. gonorrhoeae expressing the heparan sulfate-binding
Opa50 variant (5-7) adhered to HOSE cells independently of
their level of CEACAM1 expression and generally failed to recruit the
receptor. Individual Opa50-expressing gonococci
co-localizing with CEACAM1 were occasionally observed. However, CEACAM
receptor recruitment by these bacteria may have occurred as a result of phase variation, leading to the expression of a CEACAM-binding Opa
variant from a chromosomal locus in addition to Opa50.

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Fig. 2.
Co-localization of CEACAM antigens and
Opa-expressing N. gonorrhoea on the surface of HOSE
cells. HOSE cells were seeded on glass coverslips and infected
with N. gonorrhoeae N309 expressing Opa52
(A-D) or N303 expressing Opa50
(E-H). After 1 h, infected cells were washed, fixed,
and stained using phalloidin to visualize cellular actin (A
and E), rabbit antiserum against gonococci (B and
F), and a monoclonal antibody against CEACAM1 (C
and G). D and H show pseudocolored
overlays of fluorescence signals obtained from CEACAM1 (red)
and anti-gonococcal antiserum (green). Adherence by the
CEACAM1-binding strain N309 resulted in marked receptor recruitment by
all adhering bacteria (arrows in B and
C). Strain N303 adhered irrespective of CEACAM1 expression
and did not recruit the CEACAM1 receptor (arrowheads in
F and G), which remained evenly distributed over
the cell surface. The arrows in F and
G point to an exceptional bacterium that did recruit
CEACAM1, probably due to the phase-variable expression of a
CEACAM-binding Opa in addition to Opa50. Images are
projections of four or five confocal sections taken every 0.5 µm to
visualize total cellular receptor and all adhering bacteria.
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To determine whether the induced CEACAM1 expression resulted in an
increased bacterial binding, HOSE cells were infected with various
gonococcal strains, and total adhering and intracellular bacteria per
cell were quantified by confocal laser-scanning microscopy. We found
that extended infection resulted in steadily increasing levels of
Opa-mediated bacterial binding to otherwise unstimulated HOSE cells,
and this correlated with an increased level of bacterial invasion (Fig.
3A). Interestingly, despite
strong gonococcal adherence to HOSE cells, invasion was much lower when
compared with endothelial cells as previously described (41).
Opa-negative gonococci also bound to HOSE cells but generally in much
lower numbers, and invasion was minimal (Fig. 3B).

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Fig. 3.
Gonococcal adherence to HOSE cells via
Opa52 increases with time and depends on the Opa-CEACAM
interaction. HOSE cells seeded on glass coverslips were infected
with N309 (Opa52) (A) or with N302
(Opa ) (B) for 1-24 h. At the indicated time
points, cells were fixed and then labeled for immunofluorescence
analysis by confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Total associated and
intracellular bacteria per cell were counted. Gray
bars show adherence to HOSE cells; black
bars show intracellular bacteria associated with HOSE cells.
Assays were performed in triplicate on at least three separate
occasions, and data illustrate the mean ± S.D. of one
representative experiment. C, plating assay to determine the
role of CEACAM1 in adherence of gonococcal strains expressing
functionally diverse adhesins. HOSE cells were pretreated with 20 µg/ml anti-CEA rabbit immunoglobulins or nonspecific control
immunoglobulins and infected with a nonadhering, Opa-negative strain
(N302), with strains expressing CEACAM-binding Opa variants (N309 and
N313), with a strain expressing the heparan sulfate-binding
Opa50 (N303) or with an Opa-negative strain expressing type
IV pili. After 4 h, infected cultures were washed, and
cell-associated bacteria were quantitated by dilution plating after
disruption of eukaryotic cell membranes with 1% saponin in PBS. Data
shown are representative of two independently performed
experiments.
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In a plating assay, the adherence of two isogenic gonococcal strains
expressing different CEACAM-binding Opa variants, Opa52 and
Opa57 (5), was specifically inhibited by rabbit
immunoglobulins raised against human carcinoembryonic antigen but not
by control immunoglobulins (Fig. 3C). In marked contrast,
neither adherence via the heparan sulfate-binding Opa50
adhesin of strain N303 (5) nor attachment of an Opa-negative strain
expressing type IV pili (N280) was sensitive to inhibition. These data
confirm the critical role of CEACAM1 as a receptor for
Opa52 and Opa57 (N313)-expressing gonococci in
the HOSE cell model while highlighting the additional existence of
different cellular receptors for other gonococcal adhesins
(i.e. Opa50 and type IV pili) that are known not
to interact with CEACAM1 (5).
Next we sought to determine whether increased adhesion of
Opa52-expressing bacteria to the HOSE cells observed during
time course experiments (Fig. 3A) reflected increasing
CEACAM1 expression levels or whether it was primarily due to
proliferation of cell-associated bacteria. To assess the effect of
receptor expression independently, HOSE cells were pretreated with or
without TNF , infected with N309 (Opa52), and analyzed by
plating of cell-associated bacteria (Fig.
4A). TNF -induced
up-regulation of CEACAM1 resulted in significantly stronger bacterial
adherence at all time points tested. This effect was most readily
observed early, within 30 min of infection, when TNF pretreatment
increased the number of adhering bacteria by more than 10-fold.
Opa-negative bacteria still failed to adhere to HOSE cells after TNF
treatment, whereas attachment of strain N309 remained fully sensitive
to specific blockade by anti-CEA immunoglobulins (Fig. 4B).
Taken together, these data demonstrate that also after TNF treatment
of HOSE cells, adhesion of strain N309 was strictly dependent on the
Opa-CEACAM interaction.

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Fig. 4.
Increased neisserial adherence to HOSE cells
following up-regulation of CEACAM1. A, HOSE cells
seeded in 24-well plates were prestimulated with 10 ng/ml TNF for
12 h (gray bars) or left untreated
(black bars). HOSE cells were then infected with
Opa52-expressing N. gonorrhoeae (N309) for 30 min to 4 h, and cell-associated bacteria were determined by
dilution plating. Assays were performed in triplicate on at least three
separate occasions, and data displayed illustrate the mean ± S.D.
of one representative experiment. B, to determine whether
increased adherence following stimulation by TNF was dependent on
the Opa-CEACAM interaction, HOSE cells were stimulated or not as above
and infected for 1 h in the presence or absence of 20 µg/ml
specific anti-CEA rabbit immunoglobulins or control immunoglobulins.
Data shown are from one of two experiments with similar results.
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We have shown previously that gonococcal infection can induce TNF
production by epithelial cells (53). Therefore, an autocrine loop
involving de novo TNF expression that leads to the
subsequent induction of CEACAM1 expression could presumably explain the
increased gonococcal binding seen in Figs. 3A and 4. To
assess secretion of TNF in response to gonococcal infection of HOSE
cells, TNF in culture supernatants was assayed in an ELISA at
different time points after infection. The secretion of TNF was very
low, and also 24 h after infection it was almost undetectable
(data not shown).
Neisseria-induced CEACAM1 Expression Is Dependent upon
Bacteria-Epithelial Cell Contact--
To determine whether the
increased CEACAM1 expression in HOSE cells depends on intimate contact
between bacteria and cells, we compared receptor expression in the
presence of adherent and nonadherent gonococci. HOSE cells were either
left untreated, infected with isogenic neisserial strains expressing
different Opa variants, or stimulated with TNF as a positive
control. Expression of the CEACAM1 protein was found to be induced
rapidly during neisserial infection (Fig.
5A). Interestingly, efficient
up-regulation of CEACAM1 expression required bacterial adherence, since
induction by the Opa-negative and nonadherent strain N302 was much
lower and occurred much later as compared with strongly adherent
strains. However, the molecular mechanism of adherence was not
important, since strains expressing either the CEACAM1-binding
Opa52 or the heparan sulfate-binding Opa50 both
induced CEACAM1. The rapid induction of CEACAM1 expression following
infection was also confirmed by semiquantitative RT-PCR to detect
CEACAM1-encoding transcript level (Fig. 5B). This shows that
the CEACAM1 receptor up-regulation in HOSE cells requires bacterial
adherence.

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Fig. 5.
Effect of N. gonorrhoeae
infection on CEACAM expression in HOSE cells. A,
HOSE cells were either left untreated, infected with different
gonococcal strains, or stimulated with 10 ng/ml TNF . Total protein
was isolated at the time points indicated and separated by SDS-PAGE,
and immunoblots were probed with the CEACAM receptor-specific
monoclonal antibody D14HD11. B, CEACAM1
transcript expression by HOSE. Total RNA was isolated after the
indicated time intervals following the addition of TNF or gonococcal
infection and then reverse transcribed into single-stranded cDNA.
Amplification of DNA was carried out by PCR using a
CEACAM1-specific primer pair. In each case, transcript
encoding -actin was co-amplified as an internal control to assure
that equal amounts of samples were applied.
|
|
We generally observed increased levels of three defined protein bands
by immunoblot analysis using the CEACAM receptor-specific monoclonal
antibody D14HD11 (Fig. 5A). This expression pattern probably
results from a combination of the variable glycosylation of CEACAM1
and/or the expression of multiple splice variants (54).
Expression of CEACAM1 Splice Variants by Human Epithelial
Cells--
Thirteen different CEACAM1 splice variants are known to
exist. To analyze which splice variant(s) are induced in HOSE cells, we
performed RT-PCR experiments with RNA from unstimulated and gonococcal-infected HOSE cells. As a positive control, endothelial cells (HUVECs) infected with N309 (Opa52) were used. The
primer pair used amplifies the mRNA fragment that spans from the
middle of the Ig constant domain-like B1 region to the
carboxyl-terminal end of the cytoplasmic domain. Using these primers,
it is possible to discriminate between known splice variants according
to the size of the RT-PCR products (48). Epithelial cells were found to
express four of the 13 known splice variants, as shown in Fig. 6. Two large RT-PCR products corresponded
well with the 531- and 477-bp products expected from splice variants
containing a complete set of four extracellular immunoglobulin-like
domains and either a long (CEACAM1-4L; BGPa) or a short (CEACAM1-4S;
BGPc) cytoplasmic domain, respectively. A pair of smaller RT-PCR
products was consistent with extracellular A2 domain, again containing
either a long cytoplasmic domain (CEACAM1-3L; BGPb) or not
(CEACAM1-3S; BGPd). Both long splice variants (CEACAM1-4L and -3L)
were expressed in significant amounts, whereas the expression levels of
both short splice variants appeared to be much weaker (Fig. 6). Each
long splice variant contains both the amino-terminal domain, which is
bound by Opa proteins, and the long cytoplasmic domain, which contains
the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif-like sequences (22).
The same pattern of splice variants was observed when the HOSE cells
were infected with N. gonorrhoeae N303 (Opa50) or N309 (Opa52). The same expression pattern was also
observed in HUVECs. In our previous experiments, we showed only two of the 13 splice variants, CEACAM1-4L and CEACAM1-3L (41), which could
be explained by the fact that the cells were isolated from different
donors, and the alternative splicing process might differ from donor to
donor. To verify that the additional splice variants are not due to PCR
artifacts, a stably transfected HeLa cell line expressing only
CEACAM1-4L (BGPa) was analyzed (Fig. 6). In contrast to HOSE cells,
the stably transfected HeLa cells express only one PCR product
corresponding to the size of 531 bp (CEACAM1-4L).

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Fig. 6.
Expression of the CEACAM1 splice variants by
HOSE cells. HOSE cells were either left untreated or infected with
gonococcal strains N309 (Opa52) or N303
(Opa50). HUVECs infected with N309 were used as a control.
HeLa cells stably transfected with a cDNA for CEACAM1-4L should
not contain splice variants and were used as an additional control
(right panel). Total RNA was isolated after
2 h and reverse transcribed into cDNA. The expression of
CEACAM1 splice variants was assessed by semiquantitative PCR
amplification from the resulting template. The co-amplification of
-actin transcript was used as an internal control to confirm that
equal amounts of cDNA were applied. These data are representative
for at least three independent experiments.
|
|
NF- B Directs CEACAM1 Expression in N. gonorrhoeae-infected
Epithelial Cells--
To address whether CEACAM1 expression depends on
NF- B activation, as has been reported previously (41), we infected
subconfluent monolayers of HOSE cells with N. gonorrhoeae
expressing either the heparan sulfate proteoglycan-specific
Opa50, the CEACAM-specific Opa52, or no Opa
protein, or cells were treated with TNF . At different time points
after challenge, the cells were harvested, and the nuclear fraction was
prepared. The nuclear protein extracts were then analyzed for the
levels of DNA binding activity in an electrophoretic mobility
shift assay with a radioactively labeled oligonucleotide corresponding
to the DNA-binding site of NF- B (Fig.
7A). Protein binding of the
oligonucleotide was observed within 90 min postinfection by N303
(Opa50) and the N309 (Opa52) strain, whereas
NF- B activation in response to the Opa-negative strain was very
weak. TNF treatment of the HOSE cells resulted in rapid
translocation of NF- B into the nucleus, with strong binding being
observed within 10 min postinfection. Using the unlabeled
oligonucleotide with the consensus sequence in a competition experiment, we confirmed the specificity of the binding activity (Fig.
7A). The molecular nature of the activated transcription factor complex was characterized using NF- B-specific antibodies in a
supershift assay (Fig. 7A). Nuclear extracts were
preincubated with either anti-p50, anti-p65, anti-c-Rel, or preimmune
serum before the addition of the 32P-labeled
oligonucleotide containing the B sequence. The reduced mobility of
bound oligonucleotide and the supershifts in the presence of anti-p50
and anti-p65 antibodies indicate that these subunits represent the
predominant protein species in the B DNA-binding complex, which
becomes activated by gonococcal infection. The time course of active
NF- B appearing in the nuclear fraction following each of these
stimuli correlated well with the degradation of I B in the cytosol
(Fig. 7B). Bacterial LPS did not induce I B degradation
in HOSE cells (Fig. 7B). In a number of different cell
types, the toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) mediates activation of NF- B
in response to LPS. Thus, the finding that LPS did not induce NF- B
in HOSE cells correlates well with our observation that these cells do
not express TLR-2 and TLR-4. In contrast to HOSE cells, HUVECs express
TLR-4 (Fig. 7C), which allows NF- B activation in response
to LPS.

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Fig. 7.
N. gonorrhoeae infection activates
the transcription factor NF- B. HOSE cells
were either infected with different gonococcal strains, stimulated with
10 ng/ml TNF , or left untreated. At the indicated periods of time,
cells were harvested and fractionated to obtain the cytosolic fraction
and the high salt extract of nuclei, as outlined under "Materials and
Methods." A, the nuclear extracts were incubated with a
radioactive labeled DNA fragment (Ig ), which contains the NF- B
binding site, and then subjected to native polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis and autoradiography. The specificity of NF- B DNA
complex formation was investigated by competition with the indicated
amounts of unlabeled oligonucleotide (Comp). The composition
of the induced NF- B complex was investigated by antibody supershifts
using anti-p50, anti-p65, and anti-c-Rel antisera or control
preimmune serum (Preserum). The position of the protein-DNA
complexes is indicated. The data are representative of at least three
independent experiments. B, cytosolic fractions were
prepared at different time points after infection or stimulation with
TNF . Untreated HOSE cells (Uninf) were used as a control.
The samples were then analyzed in a Western blot using an
I B-specific antibody. HOSE cells were stimulated by the exposure to
1 µg/ml purified LPS. Cytosolic fractions of the same samples were
also probed for I B to determine the rate of its degradation in
response to LPS treatment. The data are representative of at least
three independent experiments. C, expression of TLR-2 and
TLR-4 in HOSE cells. The expression was assessed by semiquantitative
RT-PCR using total RNA extracted from HOSE cells and HUVECs as control.
Primers specific for -actin were included in the reaction mixture as
an internal control. HUVECs were used as an independent source for
human TLR mRNA expression to confirm the previously reported
expression of TLR-2 and TLR-4 in these cells (41). The PCR
products obtained are indicated with arrows. The results are
representative of at least three independent experiments.
|
|
To test whether CEACAM1 expression is directly controlled by NF- B,
we tested whether various inhibitors of NF- B influence CEACAM1
expression following HOSE stimulation with TNF or gonococcal infection. We observed an inhibition of CEACAM1 expression when the
cells were pretreated with an inhibitory peptide (NF- B SN50) that
inhibits the nuclear translocation of the activated NF- B complex
(Fig. 8). The fact that the
NF- B-specific peptide inhibits CEACAM1 expression clearly indicates
that NF- B is involved in the control of CEACAM1 expression.

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Fig. 8.
N. gonorrhoeae-induced expression
of CEACAM1 is blocked by inhibitors of NF- B
activation. HOSE cells were infected with N. gonorrhoeae or stimulated using TNF in the presence or absence
of the cell-permeable, inhibitory peptide SN50, which contains the
nuclear localization signal sequence of the NF- B p50 subunit,
as indicated. Untreated HUVECs were used as a control. The cell lysates
were harvested, and equal amounts of protein were analyzed by Western
blot analysis using the CEACAM receptor-specific monoclonal antibody
D14HD11. The data are representative of at least three independent
experiments.
|
|
 |
DISCUSSION |
The first critical step in neisserial infection is the interaction
with the mucosal epithelium. The Opa-mediated binding to CEACAM
receptors might play an important role in this process. Previously, we
have examined the mechanism by which N. gonorrhoeae stimulates CEACAM1 receptor expression in primary endothelial cells
(HUVECs). We provided evidence that LPS from the gonococci induces
CEACAM1 expression, which in turn up-regulated bacterial adhesion and
thus led to a positive feedback loop with LPS inducing more receptor
expression (41). To determine whether this mechanism is not limited to
the HUVECs, different epithelial cell lines commonly used as neisserial
infection model were analyzed. These cell lines revealed expression of
either no or several different CEACAM receptors, which could not be
influenced by neisserial infection. This might be due to the fact that
CEACAM expression is often strongly dysregulated during malignant
transformation (55). The cancer cells used might, therefore, have been
unable to respond to signals that would influence CEACAM expression in normal epithelial cells.
In the current study, we therefore characterized the CEACAM expression
pattern in HOSE cells that were derived from primary human ovarian
epithelium (42). We found significant levels of CEACAM1 and very little
CEACAM6 expression. Other members of the CEACAM family were not found
in either stimulated or unstimulated cells. CEACAM1 receptor expression
was found to be up-regulated during infection with Opa-expressing
gonococci, which interacted strongly with HOSE cells, or following
stimulation with TNF (Fig. 1B). Interestingly, the
nonadherent Opa strain N302 induces CEACAM1 expression
only late in the infection and to a much lower extent, strongly
indicating that bacterial adhesion is required to stimulate CEACAM1
expression (Fig. 5A). This result differs from HUVECs, where
we could previously show that CEACAM1 up-regulation during gonococcal
infection was a contact-independent process.
Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that Opa52-expressing
gonococci cause a strong recruitment of CEACAM1 receptors, resulting in
a strong co-localization of bacteria with CEACAM1 molecules. In
contrast, the heparan sulfate proteoglycan-specific
Opa50-expressing bacteria adhered to HOSE cells
independently of their CEACAM1 expression level and generally failed to
recruit CEACAM1 receptors (Fig. 2). The prolonged exposure of HOSE
cells to gonococci resulted in an increased level of
Opa52-dependent bacterial binding (Fig. 3A). Pretreatment with polyclonal anti-CEACAM antibody prior
to infection demonstrated that the increased binding was due to
interactions with CEACAM1 receptor(s), because this treatment almost
completely blocked interaction of Opa52-expressing
gonococci with the HOSE cells (Fig. 3C). Consistent with
these results, HOSE cells pretreated with TNF resulted in a
significantly increased binding of Opa52-expressing gonococci that was most readily observed early, within 30 min of
infection (Fig. 4) and that was sensitive to inhibition by specific
immunoglobulins to CEACAM1. These data clearly show that the N. gonorrhoeae-induced up-regulation of the CEACAM1 receptor in HOSE
cells leads to enhanced adhesion. Since our data show that secretion of
endogenous TNF after neisseral infection was very low even after
24 h, we exclude the possibility that CEACAM1 receptor expression
is induced by an autocrine loop involving TNF .
Opa-expressing gonococci regulate CEACAM1 expression in HOSE cells
through the activation of NF- B (Fig. 7). Supershift experiments demonstrated that the active NF- B complex consists of a heterodimer comprising the p50 and p65 subunits (Fig. 7A), and the
inactivation of NF- B by the specific inhibitory peptide blocked the
expression of CEACAM1 (Fig. 8). N. gonorrhoeae and TNF
induce CEACAM1 receptor up-regulation in a direct activation process
involving NF- B regulation. Indirect activation of CEACAM1 receptor
expression has been described in interferon- -stimulated colon cancer
cell lines (56). Here, interferon- activates interferon regulatory
factor-1, which subsequently induces CEACAM1 expression.
We have shown previously that in primary endothelial cells
up-regulation of CEACAM1 by N. gonorrhoeae is independent of
direct contact between bacteria and cells. This process is mediated by bacterial LPS, which activates toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and thereby
NF- B. N. gonorrhoeae actively releases large amounts of
membrane "blebs," which consist of both protein and lipid
components of the outer membrane. Bacterial LPS did not induce IkB
degradation in HOSE cells (Fig. 7B). This result correlated
well with our finding that TLR-4 was not expressed in HOSE cells (Fig.
7C). Furthermore, activation of NF- B and the subsequent
increase of CEACAM1 receptor expression during gonococcal infection
seems to be a cell contact-dependent process, since NF- B
activation by the Opa-negative strain was very weak (compare Figs.
5A and 7A). These data provide evidence that
N. gonorrhoeae contains components other than LPS that can
elicit biological responses via alternative pathways independent of
TLR-4. Recent studies have shown that a wide variety of bacterial
products, other than LPS and superantigens, can trigger inflammation.
It was reported that mammalian TLR-5 recognizes bacterial flagellin
from both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and that activation
of the receptor mobilizes NF- B and stimulates TNF production
(57). For Pseudomonas spp., several different factors have
been implicated in inducing NF- B-dependent IL-8
expression, including the binding of pilin to asialo-GM1
receptors on epithelal cells (58) or the secretion of homoserine
lactone derivatives (58). Recently, it was shown that cellular
responses to bacterial DNA were mediated by TLR-9 (59).
N. gonorrhoeae triggers an NF- B-dependent
up-regulation of CEACAM1 expression in both endothelial and epithelial
cells. While the mechanisms and stimuli involved seem to differ between
cell types, the result is invariably to increase adherence of bacteria to their target cells by CEACAM-binding Opa variants (Ref. 41; this
work). During natural infections the expression of Opa variants and
other gonococcal virulence factors is subject to frequent phase
variation, and new gonococcal phenotypes expressing functionally distinct combinations of virulence factors constantly arise. These are
believed to allow gonococci to colonize diverse human tissues and to
persist in a changing environment. Our data identify the expression
level of CEACAM1 as one of the factors that may change with time in the
naturally infected mucosal surface. If present in vivo, the
up-regulation of CEACAM1 either by adhering bacteria or by
proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF would probably favor colonization and invasion by CEACAM-binding phenotypic variants. Furthermore, the direct activation by adherent Neisseria of
NF- B in mucosal epithelia could be of eminent importance for the
innate immune response during neisserial infections by inducing the
expression of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines in addition to CEACAM1.
 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
We thank C. Sers (Charité Berlin,
Germany) and S. W. Tsao (Department of Anatomy, University of Hong
Kong) for generously providing the HOSE epithelial cell line. The
monoclonal antibody 4B12C11 was kindly provided by M. Achtman
(Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of
Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany), and the anti-CEACAM monoclonal
antibodies D14HD11 and 4/3/17 were both generously provided by F. Grunert (University of Freiburg, Germany). We also thank F. Grunert for
providing the HeLa-CEA and HeLa-CEACAM1 cell lines. The TEC-11
monoclonal antibody was generously provided by P. Draber (Institute of
Molecular Genetics, Prague, Czech Republic).
 |
FOOTNOTES |
*
This work was supported in part by Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft Grant Me705/5-1 and the Fonds der Chemischen
Industrie and by a European Molecular Biology Organization long term
fellowship (to O. B.).The costs of publication of this
article were defrayed in part by the
payment of page charges. The article
must therefore be hereby marked
"advertisement" in
accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section
1734 solely to indicate this fact.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel.: 49-30-284-60- 402; Fax: 49-30-28460-401; E-mail: meyer@mpiib-berlin.mpg.de.
Published, JBC Papers in Press, December 19, 2001, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M108135200
 |
ABBREVIATIONS |
The abbreviations used are:
Opa, opacity-associated;
CEACAM, carcinoembryonic
antigen-related cellular adhesion molecule;
PMN, polymorphonuclear
neutrophil;
HUVEC, human umbilical vein endothelial cell;
LPS, lipopolysaccharide;
TLR, toll-like receptor;
NF- B, nuclear factor
B;
HOSE, human ovarian surface epithelial;
TNF, tumor
necrosis factor;
FACS, fluorescence-activated cell sorting;
RT, reverse
transcription;
ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay;
mAb, monoclonal antibody;
asialo GM1, gangliotetraosylceramide
(Gal 1,3GalNAc 1,4Gal 1,4Glc 1,1Cer).
 |
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