Counteracting suppression of CFTR and voltage-gated K+ channels by a bacterial pathogenic factor with the natural product tannic acid

Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) cause recurring bacterial infection in CF patients' lungs. However, the severity of CF lung disease correlates poorly with genotype. Antibiotic treatment helps dramatically prolong patients' life. The lung disease generally determines prognosis and causes most morbidity and mortality; early control of infections is thus critical. Staphylococcus aureus is a main cause of early infection in CF lungs. It secretes sphingomyelinase (SMase) C that can suppress CFTR activity. SMase C also inhibits voltage-gated K(+) channels in lymphocytes; inhibition of these channels causes immunosuppression. SMase C's pathogenicity is further illustrated by the demonstration that once Bacillus anthracis is engineered to express high levels of SMase C, the resulting mutant can evade the host immunity elicited by a live vaccine because additional pathogenic mechanisms are created. By screening a chemical library, we find that the natural product tannic acid is an SMase C antidote.