Specific serum Ig recognizing staphylococcal wall teichoic acid induces complement-mediated opsonophagocytosis against Staphylococcus aureus

J Immunol. 2012 Nov 15;189(10):4951-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1201294. Epub 2012 Oct 15.

Abstract

Wall teichoic acid (WTA) of Staphylococcus aureus is a major cell envelope-associated glycopolymer that is a key molecule in promoting colonization during S. aureus infection. The complement system plays a key role in the opsonization and clearance of pathogens. We recently reported that S. aureus WTA functions as a ligand of human serum mannose-binding lectin (MBL), a recognition molecule of the lectin complement pathway. Intriguingly, serum MBL in adults does not bind to WTA because of an inhibitory effect of serum anti-WTA-IgG. In this study, serum anti-WTA-IgG was purified to homogeneity using a purified S. aureus WTA-coupled affinity column to examine the biological function of human anti-WTA-IgG. The purified anti-WTA-IgG contained the IgG2 subclass as a major component and specifically induced C4 and C3 deposition on the S. aureus surface in the anti-WTA-IgG-depleted serum, but not in C1q-deficient serum. Furthermore, the anti-WTA-IgG-dependent C3 deposition induced phagocytosis of S. aureus cells by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. These results demonstrate that serum anti-WTA-IgG is a real trigger for the induction of classical complement-dependent opsonophagocytosis against S. aureus. Our results also support the fact that a lack of the lectin complement pathway in MBL-deficient adults is compensated by Ag-specific, Ab-mediated adaptive immunity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / immunology*
  • Antigen-Antibody Complex / immunology
  • Cell Wall / immunology*
  • Complement C3 / immunology
  • Complement C4 / immunology
  • Complement Pathway, Classical / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology*
  • Neutrophils / cytology
  • Neutrophils / immunology*
  • Phagocytosis / immunology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / immunology*
  • Teichoic Acids / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antigen-Antibody Complex
  • C3 protein, human
  • Complement C3
  • Complement C4
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Teichoic Acids