Laboratory Immunology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Leen Hermans
Laboratory Immunology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Matthias Dierick
Laboratory Immunology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Hans Van der Weken
Laboratory Immunology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Eric Cox
Laboratory Immunology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Bert Devriendt
Laboratory Immunology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are a major cause of diarrheal illness in humans and animals, induced by enterotoxins produced by these pathogens. Despite the crucial role of neutrophils in combatting bacterial infections, our understanding of how enterotoxins impact neutrophil function is limited. To address this knowledge gap, we used heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and heat-stable enterotoxin a (STa) to investigate their impact on the effector functions of neutrophils. Our study reveals that pSTa does not exert any discernible effect on the function of neutrophils. In contrast, LT altered the migration and phagocytosis of neutrophils and induced the production of inflammatory factors via activation of cAMP/PKA and ERK1/2 signaling. LT also attenuated the release of neutrophil extracellular traps by neutrophils via the PKA signaling pathway. Our findings provide novel insights into the impact of LT on neutrophil function, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms that govern its immunoregulatory effects. This might help ETEC in subverting the immune system and establishing infection.
