J Vet Sci.  2022 Jan;23(1):e8. 10.4142/jvs.21224.

Nucleomodulin BspJ as an effector promotes the colonization of Brucella abortus in the host

• Ma Z
• Yu S
• Cheng K
• Miao Y
• Xu Y
• Hu R
• Zheng W
• Yi J
• Zhang H
• Li R
• Li Z
• Wang Y
• Chen C

• KMID: 2525543
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.21224

Abstract

Background
Brucella infection induces brucellosis, a zoonotic disease. The intracellular circulation process and virulence of Brucella mainly depend on its type IV secretion system (T4SS) expressing secretory effectors. Secreted protein BspJ is a nucleomodulin of Brucella that invades the host cell nucleus. BspJ mediates host energy synthesis and apoptosis through interaction with proteins. However, the mechanism of BspJ as it affects the intracellular survival of Brucella remains to be clarified.
Objectives
To verify the functions of nucleomodulin BspJ in Brucella's intracellular infection cycles.
Methods
Constructed Brucella abortus BspJ gene deletion strain (B. abortus ΔBspJ) and complement strain (B. abortus pBspJ) and studied their roles in the proliferation of Brucella both in vivo and in vitro.
Results
BspJ gene deletion reduced the survival and intracellular proliferation of Brucella at the replicating Brucella-containing vacuoles (rBCV) stage. Compared with the parent strain, the colonization ability of the bacteria in mice was significantly reduced, causing less inflammatory infiltration and pathological damage. We also found that the knockout of BspJ altered the secretion of cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-1β, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ) in host cells and in mice to affect the intracellular survival of Brucella.
Conclusions
BspJ is extremely important for the circulatory proliferation of Brucella in the host, and it may be involved in a previously unknown mechanism of Brucella's intracellular survival.

Keyword

Brucella abortus; secreted protein; intracellular survival; cytokines; clinical pathology