Yersinia pestis Pla Protein Thwarts T Cell Defense against Plague

ABSTRACT

Plague is a rapidly lethal human disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. This study demonstrated that the Y. pestis plasminogen activator Pla, a protease that promotes fibrin degradation, thwarts T cell-mediated defense against fully virulent Y. pestis. Introducing a single point mutation into the active site of Pla suffices to render fully virulent Y. pestis susceptible to primed T cells. Mechanistic studies revealed essential roles for fibrin during T cell-mediated defense against Pla-mutant Y. pestis. Moreover, the efficacy of T cell-mediated protection against various Y. pestis strains displayed an inverse relationship with their levels of Pla activity. Together, these data indicate that Pla functions to thwart fibrin-dependent T cell-mediated defense against plague. Other important human bacterial pathogens, including staphylococci, streptococci, and borrelia, likewise produce virulence factors that promote fibrin degradation. The discovery that Y. pestis thwarts T cell defense by promoting fibrinolysis suggests novel therapeutic approaches to amplifying T cell responses against human pathogens.