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Local Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Mediates the Systemic Pathogenic Effects of Staphylococcus aureus Toxic Shock Syndrome
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Local Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Mediates the Systemic Pathogenic Effects of Staphylococcus aureus Toxic Shock Syndrome

Laura M Breshears, Aaron N Gillman, Christopher S Stach, Patrick M Schlievert and Marnie L Peterson
PloS one, Vol.11(7), e0158969
2016
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158969
PMCID: PMC4944920
PMID: 27414801
url
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158969View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Secreted factors of Staphylococcus aureus can activate host signaling from the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The superantigen toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) contributes to mucosal cytokine production through a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM)-mediated shedding of EGFR ligands and subsequent EGFR activation. The secreted hemolysin, α-toxin, can also induce EGFR signaling and directly interacts with ADAM10, a sheddase of EGFR ligands. The current work explores the role of EGFR signaling in menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS), a disease mediated by TSST-1. The data presented show that TSST-1 and α-toxin induce ADAM- and EGFR-dependent cytokine production from human vaginal epithelial cells. TSST-1 and α-toxin also induce cytokine production from an ex vivo porcine vaginal mucosa (PVM) model. EGFR signaling is responsible for the majority of IL-8 production from PVM in response to secreted toxins and live S. aureus. Finally, data are presented demonstrating that inhibition of EGFR signaling with the EGFR-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor AG1478 significantly increases survival in a rabbit model of mTSS. These data indicate that EGFR signaling is critical for progression of an S. aureus exotoxin-mediated disease and may represent an attractive host target for therapeutics.
Rabbits ADAM Proteins - physiology Humans Interleukin-8 - physiology Shock, Septic - physiopathology Vagina - physiopathology Shock, Septic - microbiology Epithelial Cells - physiology Animals Staphylococcal Infections - physiopathology Female Signal Transduction - physiology Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - physiology Vagina - cytology

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