AUTHOR=Blötz Cedric , Singh Neil , Dumke Roger , Stülke Jörg 

TITLE=Characterization of an Immunoglobulin Binding Protein (IbpM) From Mycoplasma pneumoniae

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00685

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.00685

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Bacteria evolved many ways to invade, colonize and survive in the host tissue. Such complex infection strategies of other bacteria are not present in the cell-wall less <italic>Mycoplasmas</italic>. Due to their strongly reduced genomes, these bacteria have only a minimal metabolism. <italic>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</italic> is a pathogenic bacterium using its virulence repertoire very efficiently, infecting the human lung. <italic>M. pneumoniae</italic> can cause a variety of conditions including fever, inflammation, atypical pneumoniae, and even death. Due to its strongly reduced metabolism, <italic>M. pneumoniae</italic> is dependent on nutrients from the host and aims to persist as long as possible, resulting in chronic diseases. <italic>Mycoplasmas</italic> evolved strategies to subvert the host immune system which involve proteins fending off immunoglobulins (Igs). In this study, we investigated the role of MPN400 as the putative factor responsible for Ig-binding and host immune evasion. MPN400 is a cell-surface localized protein which binds strongly to human IgG, IgA, and IgM. We therefore named the protein MPN400 immunoglobulin binding protein of <italic>Mycoplasma</italic> (IbpM). A strain devoid of IbpM is slightly compromised in cytotoxicity. Taken together, our study indicates that <italic>M. pneumoniae</italic> uses a refined mechanism for immune evasion.</p>