DMBT1 inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa twitching motility involves its N-glycosylation and cannot be conferred by the Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich bacteria-binding peptide domain

The scavenging capacity of glycoprotein DMBT1 helps defend mucosal epithelia against microbes. DMBT1 binding to multiple bacterial species involves its conserved Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich (SRCR) domains, localized to a 16-mer consensus sequence peptide, SRCRP2. Previously, we showed that DMBT1 bound Pseudomonas aeruginosa pili, and inhibited twitching motility, a pilus-mediated movement important for virulence. Here, we determined molecular characteristics required for twitching motility inhibition. Heat-denatured DMBT1 lost capacity to inhibit twitching motility and showed reduced pili binding (~40%). Size-exclusion chromatography of Lys-C-digested native DMBT1 showed that only high-Mw fractions retained activity, suggesting involvement of the N-terminal containing repeated SRCR domains with glycosylated SRCR-Interspersed Domains (SIDs). However, individual or pooled consensus sequence peptides (SRCRPs 1 to 7) showed no activity and did not bind P. aeruginosa pili; nor did recombinant DMBT1 (aa 1–220) or another SRCR-rich glycoprotein, CD163. Enzymatic de-N-glycosylation of DMBT1, but not de-O-glycosylation, reduced its capacity to inhibit twitching motility (~57%), without reducing pili binding. Therefore, DMBT1 inhibition of P. aeruginosa twitching motility involves its N-glycosylation, its pili-binding capacity is insufficient, and it cannot be conferred by the SRCR bacteria-binding peptide domain, either alone or mixed with other unlinked SRCRPs, suggesting an additional mechanism for DMBT1-mediated mucosal defense.