The sexually transmitted bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae controls innate immune cells by delivering proteins and lipids into host cells via vesicles. How N. gonorrhoeae derived vesicles affect macrophage antimicrobial and immune responses remains unknown.
We have obtained clinical gonococcal isolates and show that they produce different amounts of vesicles. In addition, proteomic analysis highlights similarities but also differences between the isolates and their vesicles. To determine whether these vesicles affect immune responses in innate immune cells, we treated mouse and human derived macrophages with vesicles and determine survival and cytokine profiles. We discovered that some vesicles induce potent inflammatory responses, whereas others target mitochondria to induce apoptotic cell death. We will discuss the role of host factors, such as NLRP3, Caspase-1/11, Caspase-4/5 in orchestrating immune responses in macrophages treated with vesicles. Our data suggests that N. gonorrhoeae can control the release of vesicles to modulate innate immune responses during infections.