Mycoplasma pneumoniae CARDS toxin elicits a functional IgE response in Balb/c mice

PLoS One. 2017 Feb 15;12(2):e0172447. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172447. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is strongly associated with new onset asthma and asthma exacerbations. Until recently, the molecular mechanisms utilized by M. pneumoniae to influence asthma symptoms were unknown. However, we recently reported that an ADP-ribosylating and vacuolating toxin called the Community Acquired Respiratory Distress Syndrome toxin, CARDS toxin, produced by M. pneumoniae was sufficient to promote allergic inflammation and asthma-like disease in mice. A mouse model of CARDS toxin exposure was used to evaluate total and CARDS-toxin specific serum IgE responses. Mast cell sensitization, challenge, and degranulation studies determined functionality of the CARDS toxin-specific IgE. In the current study, we report that a single mucosal exposure to CARDS toxin was sufficient to increase total serum IgE and CARDS toxin-specific IgE in mice. Mice given a second mucosal challenge of CARDS toxin responded with significant increases in total and CARDS toxin-specific IgE. CARDS toxin-specific IgE bound to an N-terminal peptide of CARDS toxin but not the C-terminal peptide. Likewise, full-length CARDS toxin and the N-terminal peptide induced mast cell degranulation. Altogether, these data demonstrate that exposure to CARDS toxin is sufficient to generate functional IgE in mice. M. pneumoniae and CARDS toxin are strongly associated with asthma exacerbations raising the possibility that the CARDS toxin-specific IgE-mast cell axis contributes to disease pathogenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Bacterial Toxins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics
  • Bacterial Toxins / immunology*
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow Cells / cytology
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Hexosaminidases
  • Immunoglobulin E / blood*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / immunology
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • CARDS toxin, Mycoplasma pneumoniae
  • Epitopes
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor
  • Immunoglobulin E
  • Hexosaminidases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, AI070412, WWW.NIH.GOV. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.