Strength of Neisseria meningitidis binding to endothelial cells requires highly-ordered CD147/ß2-adrenoceptor clusters assembled by alpha-actinin-4.

Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) is an invasive bacterial pathogen that colonizes human vessels, causing thrombotic lesions and meningitis. Establishment of tight interactions with endothelial cells is crucial for meningococci to resist haemodynamic forces. Two endothelial receptors, CD147 and the ß2-adrenergic receptor (ß2AR), are sequentially engaged by meningococci to adhere and promote signalling events leading to vascular colonization, but their spatiotemporal coordination is unknown. Here we report that CD147 and ß2AR form constitutive hetero-oligomeric complexes. The scaffolding protein α-actinin-4 directly binds to the cytosolic tail of CD147 and governs the assembly of CD147-ß2AR complexes in highly ordered clusters at bacterial adhesion sites. This multimolecular assembly process increases the binding strength of meningococci to endothelial cells under shear stress, and creates molecular platforms for the elongation of membrane protrusions surrounding adherent bacteria. Thus, the specific organization of cellular receptors has major impacts on host-pathogen interaction.

Pathogenic Neisseria meningitidis utilizes CD147 for vascular colonization.

Neisseria meningitidis is a cause of meningitis epidemics worldwide and of rapidly progressing fatal septic shock. A crucial step in the pathogenesis of invasive meningococcal infections is the adhesion of bloodborne meningococci to both peripheral and brain endothelia, leading to major vascular dysfunction. Initial adhesion of pathogenic strains to endothelial cells relies on meningococcal type IV pili, but the endothelial receptor for bacterial adhesion remains unknown. Here, we report that the immunoglobulin superfamily member CD147 (also called extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) or Basigin) is a critical host receptor for the meningococcal pilus components PilE and PilV. Interfering with this interaction potently inhibited the primary attachment of meningococci to human endothelial cells in vitro and prevented colonization of vessels in human brain tissue explants ex vivo and in humanized mice in vivo. These findings establish the molecular events by which meningococci target human endothelia, and they open new perspectives for treatment and prevention of meningococcus-induced vascular dysfunctions.