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Type I interferons (IFNα, IFNβ) are key regulators of innate and adaptive immunity, modulating the severity of both viral and bacterial infections. While type I IFN signaling leads to improved outcomes in viral infections, its role in bacterial infections is more contextual and depends on the specific pathogen and route of infection. Given the limited evidence on whether type I IFN signaling affects enteric bacterial pathogens, we investigated the role of this signaling pathway in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium)-induced colitis. Comparing mice deficient in IFNAR1- the common receptor for IFNα and IFNβ- with wild-type mice, we found that type I IFN signaling leads to more rapid death, more severe colonic inflammation, higher serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and greater bacterial dissemination. Specific ablation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), which are prominent producers of type I IFNs in antiviral responses, did not alter survival after infection. This result established that pDCs do not play a major role in the pathogenesis of S. typhimurium colitis. Flow cytometric analysis of macrophages and conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) during active colitis demonstrated an increase in CD11c- macrophages and CD103+ cDCs in the colon of Ifnar1-/- animals. Interestingly, cells expressing the anti-inflammatory cytokine receptor IL-10R are more abundant within these subsets in Ifnar1-/- than in wild-type mice. Moreover, blockade of IL-10R in Ifnar1-/- mice increased their susceptibility to S. typhimurium colitis, suggesting that altered numbers of these immunoregulatory cells may underlie the difference in disease severity. This cross-talk between type I IFN and IL-10R signaling pathways may represent a key host cellular mechanism to investigate further in order to unravel the balance between pathogenic inflammation and homeostasis of the colon. Taken together, our data clearly demonstrate that type I IFN signaling is pathogenic in S. typhimurium colitis.

ABSTRACT Differences among individuals in susceptibility to infectious diseases can be modulated by host genetics. Much of the research in this field has aimed to identify loci within the host genome that are associated with these differences. In mice, A/J (AJ) and C57BL/6J (B6) mice show differential susceptibilities to various pathogens, including the intracellular pathogen Francisella tularensis. Because macrophages are the main initial target during F. tularensis infection, we explored early interactions of macrophages from these two mouse strains with F. tularensis as well as the genetic factors underlying these interactions. Our results indicate that bacterial interactions with bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) during early stages of infection are different in the AJ and B6 strains. During these early stages, bacteria are more numerous in B6 than in AJ macrophages and display differences in trafficking and early transcriptional response within these macrophages. To determine the genetic basis for these differences, we infected BMDMs isolated from recombinant inbred (RI) mice derived from reciprocal crosses between AJ and B6, and we followed early bacterial counts within these macrophages. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis revealed a locus on chromosome 19 that is associated with early differences in bacterial counts in AJ versus B6 macrophages. QTL analysis of published data that measured the differential susceptibilities of the same RI mice to an in vivo challenge with F. tularensis confirmed the F. tularensis susceptibility QTL on chromosome 19. Overall, our results show that early interactions of macrophages with F. tularensis are dependent on the macrophage genetic background. IMPORTANCE Francisella tularensis is a highly pathogenic bacterium with a very low infectious dose in humans. Some mechanisms of bacterial virulence have been elucidated, but the host genetic factors that contribute to host resistance or susceptibility are largely unknown. In this work, we have undertaken a genetic approach to assess what these factors are in mice. Analyzing early interactions of macrophages with the bacteria as well as data on overall susceptibility to infection revealed a locus on chromosome 19 that is associated with both phenotypes. In addition, our work revealed differences in the early macrophage response between macrophages with different genetic backgrounds. Overall, this work suggests some intriguing links between in vitro and in vivo infection models and should aid in further elucidating the genetic circuits behind the host response to Francisella tularensis infection.

ABSTRACT The highly virulent Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis has been classified as a category A bioterrorism agent. A live vaccine strain (LVS) has been developed but remains unlicensed in the United States because of an incomplete understanding of its attenuation. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modification is a common strategy employed by bacterial pathogens to avoid innate immunity. A novel modification enzyme has recently been identified in F. tularensis and Helicobacter pylori. This enzyme, a two-component Kdo (3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid) hydrolase, catalyzes the removal of a side chain Kdo sugar from LPS precursors. The biological significance of this modification has not yet been studied. To address the role of the two-component Kdo hydrolase KdhAB in F. tularensis pathogenesis, a ΔkdhAB deletion mutant was constructed from the LVS strain. In intranasal infection of mice, the ΔkdhAB mutant strain had a 50% lethal dose (LD50) 2 log10 units higher than that of the parental LVS strain. The levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly higher (2-fold) in mice infected with the ΔkdhAB mutant than in mice infected with LVS. In vitro stimulation of bone marrow-derived macrophages with the ΔkdhAB mutant induced higher levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in a TLR2-dependent manner. In addition, TLR2−/− mice were more susceptible than wild-type mice to ΔkdhAB bacterial infection. Finally, immunization of mice with ΔkdhAB bacteria elicited a high level of protection against the highly virulent F. tularensis subsp. tularensis strain Schu S4. These findings suggest an important role for the Francisella Kdo hydrolase system in virulence and offer a novel mutant as a candidate vaccine. IMPORTANCE The first line of defense against a bacterial pathogen is innate immunity, which slows the progress of infection and allows time for adaptive immunity to develop. Some bacterial pathogens, such as Francisella tularensis, suppress the early innate immune response, killing the host before adaptive immunity can mature. To avoid an innate immune response, F. tularensis enzymatically modifies its lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A novel LPS modification—Kdo (3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid) saccharide removal—has recently been reported in F. tularensis. We found that the ∆kdhAB mutant was significantly attenuated in mice. Additionally, the mutant strain induced an early innate immune response in mice both in vitro and in vivo. Immunization of mice with this mutant provided protection against the highly virulent F. tularensis strain Schu S4. Thus, our study has identified a novel LPS modification important for microbial virulence. A mutant lacking this modification may be used as a live attenuated vaccine against tularemia.