Spatially distinct neutrophil responses within the inflammatory lesions of pneumonic plague

During pneumonic plague, the bacterium Yersinia pestis elicits the development of inflammatory lung lesions that continue to expand throughout infection. This lesion development and persistence is poorly understood. Here, we examine spatially distinct regions of lung lesions using laser capture microdissection and RNAseq analysis to identify transcriptional differences between lesion microenvironments. We show that cellular pathways involved in leukocyte migration and apoptosis are down regulated in the center of lung lesions compared to the periphery. Probing for the bacterial factor(s) important for the alteration in neutrophil survival, we show both in vitro and in vivo that Y. pestis increases neutrophil survival in a manner that is dependent on the type-III secretion system effector YopM. This research explores the complexity of spatially distinct host - microbe interactions and emphasizes the importance of cell relevance in assays in order to fully understand Y. pestis virulence. Overall design: We examine spatially distinct regions of lung lesions using laser capture microdissection and RNAseq analysis to identify transcriptional differences between lesion microenvironments. Sample types: uninfected BM-PMN, infected BM-PMN, lesion periphery, lesion center.

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Stasulli NM, Eichelberger KR, Price PA, Pechous RD, Montgomery SA, Parker JS, Goldman WE