Dietary zinc and the control of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007957
• Publication Date: 2019-08-22T17:25:52Z
• Authors: Bart A. Eijkelkamp; Jacqueline R. Morey; Stephanie L. Neville; Aimee Tan; Victoria G. Pederick; Nerida Cole; Prashina P. Singh; Cheryl-Lynn Y. Ong; Raquel Gonzalez d...; David Clases; Bliss A. Cunningham; Catherine E. Hughes; Iain Comerford; Erin B. Brazel; Jonathan J. Whittall; Charles D. Plumptre; Shaun R. McColl; James C. Paton; Alastair G. McEwan; Philip A. Doble; Christopher A. Mc...
• Keywords: Lung Diseases; 0301 basic medicine; 570; 572; QH301-705.5; Immunology; 2405 Parasitology; Microbiology; Pneumococcal Infections; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; 1311 Genetics; Virology; Genetics; 1312 Molecular Biology; Animals; Biology (General); Molecular Biology; 2403 Immunology; 0303 health sciences; Virulence; Animal; 2404 Microbiology; 600; RC581-607; 3. Good health; Disease Models, Animal; Zinc; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Disease Models; Dietary Supplements; 2406 Virology; Parasitology; Female; Immunologic diseases. Allergy; Research Article

Human zinc deficiency increases susceptibility to bacterial infection. Although zinc supplementation therapies can reduce the impact of disease, the molecular basis for protection remains unclear. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of bacterial pneumonia, which is prevalent in regions of zinc deficiency. We report that dietary zinc levels dictate the outcome of S. pneumoniae infection in a murine model. Dietary zinc restriction impacts murine tissue zinc levels with distribution post-infection altered, and S. pneumoniae virulence and infection enhanced. Although the activation and infiltration of murine phagocytic cells was not affected by zinc restriction, their efficacy of bacterial control was compromised. S. pneumoniae was shown to be highly sensitive to zinc intoxication, with this process impaired in zinc restricted mice and isolated phagocytic cells. Collectively, these data show how dietary zinc deficiency increases sensitivity to S. pneumoniae infection while revealing a role for zinc as a component of host antimicrobial defences.