Divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth-to-rough adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infection

Mycobacterium abscessus is a nontuberculous mycobacterium emerging as a significant pathogen in individuals with chronic lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Current therapeutics have poor efficacy. Strategies of bacterial control based on host defenses...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Emily A. Wheeler, Patricia M. Lenhart-Pendergrass, Noel M. Rysavy, Katie R. Poch, Silvia M. Caceres, Kara M. Calhoun, Karina A. Serban, Jerry A. Nick, Kenneth C. Malcolm
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1445660/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850038970455425024
author Emily A. Wheeler
Patricia M. Lenhart-Pendergrass
Noel M. Rysavy
Katie R. Poch
Silvia M. Caceres
Kara M. Calhoun
Karina A. Serban
Karina A. Serban
Jerry A. Nick
Jerry A. Nick
Kenneth C. Malcolm
Kenneth C. Malcolm
author_facet Emily A. Wheeler
Patricia M. Lenhart-Pendergrass
Noel M. Rysavy
Katie R. Poch
Silvia M. Caceres
Kara M. Calhoun
Karina A. Serban
Karina A. Serban
Jerry A. Nick
Jerry A. Nick
Kenneth C. Malcolm
Kenneth C. Malcolm
author_sort Emily A. Wheeler
collection DOAJ
description Mycobacterium abscessus is a nontuberculous mycobacterium emerging as a significant pathogen in individuals with chronic lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Current therapeutics have poor efficacy. Strategies of bacterial control based on host defenses are appealing; however, antimycobacterial immunity remains poorly understood and is further complicated by the appearance of smooth and rough morphotypes, which elicit distinct host responses. We investigated the role of serum components in neutrophil-mediated clearance of M. abscessus morphotypes. M. abscessus opsonization with complement enhanced bacterial killing compared to complement-deficient opsonization. Killing of rough isolates was less reliant on complement. Complement C3 and mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) were deposited on M. abscessus morphotypes in distinct patterns, with a greater association of MBL2 on rough M. abscessus. Killing was dependent on C3; however, depletion and competition experiments indicate that canonical complement activation pathways are not involved. Complement-mediated killing relied on natural IgG and IgM for smooth morphotypes and on IgG for rough morphotypes. Both morphotypes were recognized by complement receptor 3 in a carbohydrate- and calcium-dependent manner. These findings indicate a role for noncanonical C3 activation pathways for M. abscessus clearance by neutrophils and link smooth-to-rough adaptation to complement activation.
format Article
id doaj-art-9ffc1e1327434f9982a862a12873abae
institution DOAJ
issn 2235-2988
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
spelling doaj-art-9ffc1e1327434f9982a862a12873abae2025-08-20T02:56:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882025-03-011510.3389/fcimb.2025.14456601445660Divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth-to-rough adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infectionEmily A. Wheeler0Patricia M. Lenhart-Pendergrass1Noel M. Rysavy2Katie R. Poch3Silvia M. Caceres4Kara M. Calhoun5Karina A. Serban6Karina A. Serban7Jerry A. Nick8Jerry A. Nick9Kenneth C. Malcolm10Kenneth C. Malcolm11Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United StatesDepartment of Medicine University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United StatesMycobacterium abscessus is a nontuberculous mycobacterium emerging as a significant pathogen in individuals with chronic lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Current therapeutics have poor efficacy. Strategies of bacterial control based on host defenses are appealing; however, antimycobacterial immunity remains poorly understood and is further complicated by the appearance of smooth and rough morphotypes, which elicit distinct host responses. We investigated the role of serum components in neutrophil-mediated clearance of M. abscessus morphotypes. M. abscessus opsonization with complement enhanced bacterial killing compared to complement-deficient opsonization. Killing of rough isolates was less reliant on complement. Complement C3 and mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) were deposited on M. abscessus morphotypes in distinct patterns, with a greater association of MBL2 on rough M. abscessus. Killing was dependent on C3; however, depletion and competition experiments indicate that canonical complement activation pathways are not involved. Complement-mediated killing relied on natural IgG and IgM for smooth morphotypes and on IgG for rough morphotypes. Both morphotypes were recognized by complement receptor 3 in a carbohydrate- and calcium-dependent manner. These findings indicate a role for noncanonical C3 activation pathways for M. abscessus clearance by neutrophils and link smooth-to-rough adaptation to complement activation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1445660/fullcystic fibrosisnatural antibodiescomplementneutrophilsadaptation
spellingShingle Emily A. Wheeler
Patricia M. Lenhart-Pendergrass
Noel M. Rysavy
Katie R. Poch
Silvia M. Caceres
Kara M. Calhoun
Karina A. Serban
Karina A. Serban
Jerry A. Nick
Jerry A. Nick
Kenneth C. Malcolm
Kenneth C. Malcolm
Divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth-to-rough adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infection
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
cystic fibrosis
natural antibodies
complement
neutrophils
adaptation
title Divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth-to-rough adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infection
title_full Divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth-to-rough adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infection
title_fullStr Divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth-to-rough adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infection
title_full_unstemmed Divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth-to-rough adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infection
title_short Divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth-to-rough adaptation of Mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infection
title_sort divergent host humoral innate immune response to the smooth to rough adaptation of mycobacterium abscessus in chronic infection
topic cystic fibrosis
natural antibodies
complement
neutrophils
adaptation
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1445660/full
work_keys_str_mv AT emilyawheeler divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT patriciamlenhartpendergrass divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT noelmrysavy divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT katierpoch divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT silviamcaceres divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT karamcalhoun divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT karinaaserban divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT karinaaserban divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT jerryanick divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT jerryanick divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT kennethcmalcolm divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection
AT kennethcmalcolm divergenthosthumoralinnateimmuneresponsetothesmoothtoroughadaptationofmycobacteriumabscessusinchronicinfection