Paraoxonases-2 and -3 Are Important Defense Enzymes againstPseudomonas aeruginosaVirulence Factors due to Their Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Abstract

The pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosacauses serious damage in immunocompromised patients by secretion of various virulence factors, among them the quorum sensing N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3OC12) and the redox-active pyocyanin (PCN). Paraoxonase-2 (PON2) may protect againstP. aeruginosainfections, as it efficiently inactivates 3OC12 and diminishes PCN-induced oxidative stress. This defense could be circumvented because 3OC12 mediates intracellular Ca2+-rise in host cells, which causes rapid inactivation and degradation of PON2. Importantly, we recently found that the PON2 paralogue PON3 prevents mitochondrial radical formation. Here we investigated its role as additional potential defense mechanism againstP. aeruginosainfections. Our studies demonstrate that PON3 diminished PCN-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, it showed clear anti-inflammatory potential by protecting against NF-κB activation and IL-8 release. The latter similarly applied to PON2. Furthermore, we observed a Ca2+-mediated inactivation and degradation of PON3, again in accordance with previous findings for PON2. Our results suggest that the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory functions of PON2 and PON3 are an important part of our innate defense system againstP. aeruginosainfections. Furthermore, we conclude thatP. aeruginosacircumvents PON3 protection by the same pathway as for PON2. This may help identifying underlying mechanisms in order to sustain the protection afforded by these enzymes.