Differential response of human monocytes to Neisseria gonorrhoeae variants expressing pili and opacity proteins

Experiments in vitro suggest that Neisseria gonorrhoeae surface variation plays a key role in gonococcal pathogenesis by providing the appropriate bacterial phenotypes to go through different stages of the infection. Here we report on the effects of phase and antigen variation of two major gonococcal adhesins, pill and opacity (Opal outer membrane proteins, on the interaction of the gonococci with human monocytes. Using a set of recombinants of gonococcus strain MS11 that each express 1 of 11 genetically defined Opa proteins or a defined type of pilus, we found that both Opa proteins and pill promote bacterial phagocytosis by monocytes in the absence of serum and that this feature largely depends on the type of protein that is expressed. One of the Opa proteins (Opa(50)) strongly promoted uptake by monocytes but had little effect on the interaction with polymorphonuclear leukocytes under the conditions employed. Similarly, the phagocytosis-promoting effect of the pill was much more pronounced in monocytes than in neutrophils (4-fold versus 22-fold stimulation of uptake, respectively). Only a subpopulation of both types of phagocytes actively ingested bacteria, as has been observed during natural infections. Measurements of luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence demonstrated that phagocytosis of opaque but not piliated gonococci was accompanied by an increase in oxygen-reactive metabolites. These findings demonstrate that the monocyte response towards gonococci is highly dependent on the bacterial phenotype and differs from the neutrophil response. This diversity in bacterial behavior towards various types of human phagocytic cells underlines the biological impact of gonococcal surface variation and may explain previous contradictory results on this subject.