Edwardsiella piscicida interferes with classical endocytic trafficking and replicates in a specialized replication-permissive niche in non-phagocytic cells

Abstract

Edwardsiella piscicida ( E. piscicida ) is an intracellular pathogen within a broad spectrum of hosts. Essential to E. piscicida virulence is its ability to invade and replicate inside host cells, yet the survival mechanisms and the nature of the replicative compartment remain unknown. Here, we characterized its intracellular lifestyle in non-phagocytic cells and showed that intracellular replication of E. piscicida in non-phagocytic cells is dependent on its type III secretion system but not type VI secretion system. Following internalization, E. piscicida is contained in vacuoles that transiently mature into early endosomes but subsequently bypasses the classical endosome pathway and fusion with lysosomes which depend on its T3SS. Following a rapid escape from the degradative pathway, E. piscicida was found to create a specialized replication-permissive niche characterized by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) markers. Furthermore, we found that a T3SS effector EseJ is responsible for intracellular replication of E. piscicida by preventing endosome/lysosome fusion. In vivo experiments also confirmed that EseJ is necessary for bacterial colonization of E. piscicida in the epithelial layer followed by systemic dissemination both in zebrafish and mice. Thus, this work elucidates the tactics used by E. piscicida to survive and proliferate within host non-phagocytic cells. IMPORTANCE E. piscicida is a facultative intracellular bacterium associated with septicemia and fatal infections in many animals, including fish and humans. However, little is known about its intracellular life, which is important for successful invasion of the host. The present study is the first comprehensive characterization of E. piscicida ’s intracellular life-style in host cells. Upon internalization, E. piscicida is transiently contained in Rab5-positive vacuoles, but the pathogen prevents further endosome maturation and fusion with lysosomes by utilizing a T3SS effector EseJ. In addition, the bacterium creates a specialized replication niche for rapid growth via an interaction with the ER. Our study provides new insights into the strategies used by E. piscicida to successfully establishes an intracellular lifestyle that contributes to its survival and dissemination during infection.