Pathogenic bacteria prime the induction of Toll-like receptor signalling in human colonic cells by the Gal/GalNAc lectin Carbohydrate Recognition Domain of Entamoebahistolytica

In mixed intestinal infections with Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites and enteropathogenic bacteria, which are wide-spread in areas of endemic amoebiasis, interaction between the pathogens could be an important factor in the occurrence of invasive disease. It has been reported that exposure of human colonic cells to enteropathogenic bacteria increased trophozoite adherence to the cells and their subsequent damage. We report here that the Carbohydrate Recognition Domain (CRD) of the amoebic Gal/GalNAc lectin binds to Toll-like receptors TLR-2 and TLR-4 in human colonic cells, activating the “classic” signalling pathway of these receptors. Activation induced expression of TLR-2 and TLR-4 mRNAs and the mRNAs of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as an increase in the corresponding proteins. Direct correlation was observed between the increased expression of TLRs and pro-inflammatory cytokines, the enhanced adhesion of trophozoites to the cells and the inflicted cell damage. When cells were exposed to pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (Gram+) or Shigella dysenteriae (Gram−), elements of an innate immune response were induced. CRD by itself elicited a similar cell response, while exposure to a commensal Escherichia coli had a null effect. Pre-exposure of the cells to pathogenic bacteria and then to CRD rendered an inflammatory-like microenvironment that after addition of trophozoites facilitated greater cell destruction. Our results suggest that CRD is recognised by human colonic cells as a pathogen-associated-molecular-pattern-like molecule and as such can induce the expression of elements of an innate immune response. In the human host, an exacerbated inflammatory environment, derived from pathogen interplay, may be an important factor for development of invasive disease.

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► Amebic lectin-carbohydrate-binding domain binds to toll-like receptors 2 and 4 of human colonic cells.
► Carbohydrate-binding domain-activated toll-like receptor signalling increased receptor and inflammatory cytokine expression.
► Carbohydrate-binding domain has a pathogen-activated molecular pattern-like activity as do pathogenic bacteria molecules
► Carbohydrate-binding domain-induced inflammatory milieu favours amebic adherence and damage to colonic cells.
► Mixed pathogen-synergised inflammatory milieu modulates amebic intestinal cell damage.