Extracellular vesicles produced by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) activate macrophage proinflammatory response and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation through TLR4 signaling

BACKGROUND: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is the major pathogen causing important avian diseases in poultry. As an important subtype of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, APEC has zoonotic potential and is considered a foodborne pathogen. APEC extracellular vesicles (EVs) may play vital roles in the interaction of the pathogen with its host cells. However, the precise roles played by APEC EVs are still not completely clear, especially in immune cells. RESULTS: In this study, we investigated the relationships between APEC EVs and immune cells. The production and characteristics of the EVs of APEC isolate CT265 were identified. Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) triggered the cellular immune responses when it interacted with APEC EVs. APEC EVs induced a significant release of proinflammatory cytokines in THP-1 macrophages. APEC EVs induced the macrophage inflammatory response via the TLR4/MYD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, which participated in the activation of the APEC-EV-induced NLRP3 inflammasome. However, the loss of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from APEC EVs reduced the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome mediated by TLR4/MYD88/NF-κB signaling. Because APEC EVs activated the macrophage inflammatory response and cytokines release, we speculated that the interaction between APEC EVs and macrophages activated and promoted neutrophil migration during APEC extraintestinal infection. This study is the first to report that APEC EVs induce the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and chicken heterophil extracellular traps. Treatment with APEC EVs induced SAPK/JNK activation in neutrophils. The inhibition of TLR4 signaling suppressed APEC-EV-induced NET formation. However, although APEC EVs activated the immune response of macrophages and initiated NET formation, they also damaged macrophages, causing their apoptosis. The loss of LPS from APEC EVs did not prevent this process. CONCLUSION: APEC-derived EVs induced inflammatory responses in macrophages and NETs in neutrophils, and that TLR4 was involved in the APEC-EV-activated inflammatory response. These findings provided a basis for the further study of APEC pathogenesis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-023-02171-6.