Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity Chapter 15 Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity

Mechanisms of Pathogenicity Pathogenicity: the ability to cause disease Virulence: the extent of pathogenicity Higher- greater ability to overcome host’s defenses and cause disease Lower- less ability to overcome host’s defenses and cause disease

Portals of Entry Mucous membranes Skin Parenteral route Preferred portal of entry

Portals of Entry Mucous Membranes Skin or Parenteral Respiratory Tract- Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Influenza virus Gastrointestinal Tract- Salmonella sp., Vibrio cholerae Genitourinary Tract- Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum, HIV Skin or Parenteral Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium tetani, Hepatitis B virus

Numbers of Invading Microbes The higher the number of invading microbes the more likely they are to cause disease ID50: infectious dose for 50% of the test population LD50: lethal dose (of a toxin) for 50% of the test population

Bacillus anthracis Portal of Entry ID50 Skin 10–50 endospores Inhalation 10,000–20,000 endospores Ingestion 250,000–1,000,000 endospores

Adherence Adhesins/ligands bind to receptors on host cells Glycocalyx: Streptococcus mutans Fimbriae: Escherichia coli Form biofilms

Adhesin (ligand) Pathogen Host cell surface Receptor Figure 15.1a Adherence. Adhesin (ligand) Pathogen Host cell surface Receptor Surface molecules on a pathogen, called adhesins or ligands, bind specifically to complementary surface receptors on cells of certain host tissues.

Figure 15.1b-c Adherence. E. coli bacteria (yellow-green) on human urinary bladder cells Bacteria (purple) adhering to human skin

How Bacterial Pathogens penetrate host defenses

Capsules Virulence factor Prevent phagocytosis Streptococcus pneumoniae Haemophilus influenzae Bacillus anthracis Exception: If body produces antibodies against the capsule, they attach to the capsule and allow the phagocyte to destroy them.

Enzymes All are virulence factors. Coagulase: coagulates fibrinogen Kinases: digest fibrin clots Hyaluronidase: hydrolyzes hyaluronic acid Collagenase: hydrolyzes collagen IgA proteases: destroy IgA antibodies

Blocked coronary artery Chapter 15, unnumbered figure A, p. 434. Blocked coronary artery

Necrotizing fasciitis Chapter 15, unnumbered figure B, p. 434. Necrotizing fasciitis

Antigenic Variation Organisms change their surface antigens. Host’s immune system makes specific antibody for specific antigen. Once the antigen changes the antibody in no longer good.

Penetration into Cytoskeleton Can manipulate the plasma membrane enough that they are allowed into the cell. Membrane ruffling

Ruffling of host cell plasma membrane Salmonella typhimurium Figure 15.2 Salmonella entering intestinal epithelial cells as a result of ruffling. Ruffling of host cell plasma membrane Salmonella typhimurium

Direct Damage Disrupt host cell function Produce waste products Toxins

The Production of Toxins Toxin: substance that contributes to pathogenicity Toxigenicity: ability to produce a toxin Toxemia: presence of toxin in the host’s blood Toxoid: inactivated toxin used in a vaccine Antitoxin: antibodies against a specific toxin

Figure 15.4 Mechanisms of Exotoxins and Endotoxins. Exotoxins are proteins produced inside pathogenic bacteria, most commonly gram-positive bacteria, as part of their growth and metabolism. The exotoxins are then secreted into the surrounding medium during log phase. Endotoxins are the lipid portions of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that are part of the outer membrane of the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria (lipid A; see Figure 4.13c). The endotoxins are liberated when the bacteria die and the cell wall breaks apart. Cell wall Exotoxin: toxic substances released outside the cell Salmonella typhimurium, an example of a gram-negative bacterium that produces endotoxins Clostridium botulinum, an example of a gram-positive bacterium that produces exotoxins Endotoxins: toxins composed of lipids that are part of the cell membrane

Exotoxins Specific for a structure or function in host cell Will have specific symptoms; Neurotoxin- damages nerve cells.

By-products of growing cell Exotoxin Source Mostly gram-positive Relation to microbe By-products of growing cell Chemistry Protein Fever? No Neutralized by antitoxin? Yes LD50 Small

Membrane-Disrupting Toxins Lyse host’s cells by Making protein channels in the plasma membrane Leukocidins Hemolysins Streptolysins Disrupting phospholipid bilayer

Superantigens Cause an intense immune response due to release of cytokines from host cells Symptoms: fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shock, and death

Endotoxins Not a specific target so the symptoms are GENERAL. Source Gram-negative Relation to Microbe Outer membrane Chemistry Lipid A Fever? Yes Neutralized by Antitoxin? No LD50 Relatively large Not a specific target so the symptoms are GENERAL.

Figure 15.6 Endotoxins and the pyrogenic response. Macrophage Endotoxin Hypothalamus of brain Nucleus Cytokines Prostaglandin Fever Blood vessel Pituitary gland Vacuole Bacterium 1 A macrophage ingests a gram-negative bacterium. 2 The bacterium is degraded in a vacuole, releasing endotoxins that induce the macrophage to produce cytokines IL-1 and TNF-. 3 The cytokines are released into the bloodstream by the macrophages, through which they travel to the hypothalamus of the brain. 4 The cytokines induce the hypothalamus to produce prostaglandins, which reset the body’s “thermostat” to a higher temperature, producing fever.

Cytopathic Effects of Viruses- visible effect of viruses on host cells Destruction of intracellular contents Inclusion bodies Several cells join together to form one GIANT multinucleated cell (syncytium). Interferons- made by host’s cell in response to viral invasion. Protects neighboring uninfected cells from viral infection. Change antigenic determinants of host cell causing host’s immune cells to attack their own cell. Chromosomal damage No contact inhibition  Cancer

Inclusion body Cytoplasmic mass Nuclei Figure 15.7 Some cytopathic effects of viruses. Inclusion body Cytoplasmic mass Nuclei

Figure 15.8 Transformed cells in culture.

Pathogenic Properties of Fungi Fungal waste products may cause symptoms Chronic infections provoke an allergic response Proteases- allow attachment Candida Capsule prevents phagocytosis Cryptococcus Aflatoxin- toxin with carcinogenic effects Aspergillus

Pathogenic Properties of Protozoa Protozoan waste products may cause symptoms Avoid host defenses by Growing in phagocytes Antigenic variation

Pathogenic Properties of Helminths Use host tissue Presence of parasite interferes with host function Parasite’s metabolic waste can cause symptoms

Pathogenic Properties of Algae Paralytic shellfish poisoning Dinoflagellates

Figure 27.13 A red tide.

Portals of Exit Respiratory tract Gastrointestinal tract Coughing and sneezing Gastrointestinal tract Feces and saliva Genitourinary tract Urine and vaginal secretions Skin Blood Arthropods that bite; needles or syringes

Figure 15.9 Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity. When the balance between host and microbe is tipped in favor of the microbe, an infection or disease results. Learning these mechanisms of microbial pathogenicity is fundamental to understanding how pathogens are able to overcome the host’s defenses. H1N1 flu virus penetration or evasion of host defenses damage to host cells Number of invading microbes portals of entry portals of exit Mucous membranes Capsules Cell wall components Enzymes Antigenic variation Invasins Intracellular growth Siderophores Direct damage Toxins Generally the same as the portals of entry for a given microbe: • Respiratory tract • Gastrointestinal tract • Genitourinary tract • Conjunctiva • Exotoxins • Endotoxins • Mucous membranes • Skin • Parenteral route Skin Parenteral route Lysogenic conversion Cytopathic effects Adherence Mycobacterium intracellulare Clostridium tetani Micrographs are not shown to scale.