Bacteroides fragilis Toxin Induces Intestinal Epithelial Cell Secretion of Interleukin-8 by the E-Cadherin/β-Catenin/NF-κB Dependent Pathway

Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) has emerged as a gut microbiome pathogen that can promote colitis associated cancer in humans. ETBF secretes the metalloprotease, B. fragilis toxin (BFT), which can induce ectodomain cleavage of E-cadherin and IL-8 secretion through the beta-catenin, NF-kappa B, and MAPK pathways in intestinal epithelial cells. However, it is still unclear whether E-cadherin cleavage is required for BFT induced IL-8 secretion and the relative contribution of these signaling pathways to IL-8 secretion. Using siRNA knockdown and CRISPR knockout studies, we found that E-cadherin cleavage is required for BFT mediated IL-8 secretion. In addition, genetic ablation of 13-catenin indicates that beta-catenin is required for the BFT induced increase in transcriptional activity of NF-kappa B, p65 nuclear localization and early IL-8 secretion. These results suggest that BFT induced beta-catenin signaling is upstream of NF-kappa B activation. However, despite beta-catenin gene disruption, BFT still activated the MAPK pathway, suggesting that the BFT induced activation of the MAPK signaling pathway is independent from the E-cadherin/beta-catenin/NF-kappa B pathway. These findings show that E-cadherin and beta-catenin play a critical role in acute inflammation following ETBF infection through the inflammatory response to BFT in intestinal epithelial cells.