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Apoptosis-inducing factor mediates microglial and neuronal apoptosis caused by pneumococcus

Academic Article
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Overview

authors

  • Braun, J. S.
  • Novak, R.
  • Murray, P. J.
  • Eischen, C. M.
  • Susin, S. A.
  • Kroemer, G.
  • Halle, A.
  • Weber, J. R.
  • Tuomanen, E. I.
  • Cleveland, John

publication date

  • 2001

journal

  • Journal of Infectious Diseases  Journal

abstract

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae is the major cause of bacterial meningitis and it damages the hippocampus by inducing neuronal apoptosis. The blocking of caspases provides only partial protection in experimental meningitis, which suggests that there is an additional apoptotic pathway. A trigger of this pathway is the bacterium itself, as exposure of microglia or neurons to live pneumococci induces rapid apoptosis. In this study, apoptosis was not associated with the activation of caspases-1-10 and was not inhibited by z-VAD-fmk, a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor. Rather, apoptosis was attributed to damage to mitochondria, which was followed by the release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from the mitochondria, large-scale DNA fragmentation, and hypodiploidy. Furthermore, intracytoplasmatic microinjection of AIF-specific antiserum markedly impaired pneumococcus-induced apoptosis. These findings indicate that AIF may play a central role in brain cell apoptosis and bacterial pathogenesis.

subject areas

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Apoptosis Inducing Factor
  • Brain
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Nucleus
  • DNA
  • DNA Fragmentation
  • Diploidy
  • Flavoproteins
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Meningitis, Bacterial
  • Mice
  • Microglia
  • Mitochondria
  • Neurons
  • Pneumococcal Infections
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae
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Identity

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0022-1899

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1086/324013

PubMed ID

  • 11679919
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Additional Document Info

start page

  • 1300

end page

  • 1309

volume

  • 184

issue

  • 10

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