Interrogating the genus Yersinia to define the rules of lipopolysaccharide lipid A structure associated with pathogenicity

Pathogen recognition by the immune system relies on germline-encoded pathogen recognition receptors which identify conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) such as the lipid A section of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The assumption that pathogens and mammalian-associated bacteria remodel their lipid A PAMP because of host-microbe co-evolution is a long held-belief of microbial pathogenesis. We set out to test this fundamental principle by interrogating a Gram-negative genus presenting evidence of evolutionary events linked to the acquisition of essential virulence traits, resulting in pathogenic and non-pathogenic species. The genus Yersinia fulfil these requirements; the acquisition of the pYV virulence plasmid is one of the evolutionary events associated with virulence. At 37°C, only pathogenic Yersinia switch to deacylated lipid A, a modification that diminishes TLR4/MD-2 recognition and reduces inflammation. An engineered chimeric pathogenic Yersinia strain expressing the non-pathogenic lipid A profile efficiently engages with TLR4, demonstrating it is sufficient to switch the acylation pattern to modify the recognition by TLR4 and subsequent activation of inflammation. The lipid As of pathogenic and non-pathogenic species are modified with aminoarabinose and palmitate; therefore, only the reduced acylation of the lipid A PAMP is a trait associated with virulence. The decorations of lipid A do not alter TLR4 engagement but confer resistance to antimicrobial peptides. The chimeric pathogenic Yersinia strain expressing the non-pathogenic lipid A profile allows to ascertain whether the switch in the lipid A PAMP affects virulence. This strain showed enhanced motility due to an upregulation of the flhDC master regulator, and impaired cellular invasion through downregulation of rovA , a key invasion regulator. The expression and function of pYV-encoded virulence factors Yops and YadA were not affected. Nonetheless, the chimeric strain was attenuated in vivo, demonstrating that virulence factors cannot overcome a switch in the lipid A PAMP associated with pathogenicity.