1
|
Jung H, Zarlenga D, Martin JC, Geldhof P, Hallsworth-Pepin K, Mitreva M. The identification of small molecule inhibitors with anthelmintic activities that target conserved proteins among ruminant gastrointestinal nematodes. mBio 2024; 15:e0009524. [PMID: 38358246 PMCID: PMC10936192 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00095-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections are a major concern for the ruminant industry worldwide and result in significant production losses. Naturally occurring polyparasitism and increasing drug resistance that potentiate disease outcomes are observed among the most prevalent GINs of veterinary importance. Within the five major taxonomic clades, clade Va represents a group of GINs that predominantly affect the abomasum or small intestine of ruminants. However, the development of effective broad-spectrum anthelmintics against ruminant clade Va GINs has been challenged by a lack of comprehensive druggable genome resources. Here, we first assembled draft genomes for three clade Va species (Cooperia oncophora, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, and Ostertagia ostertagi) and compared them with closely related ruminant GINs. Genome-wide phylogenetic reconstruction showed a relationship among ruminant GINs structured by taxonomic classification. Orthogroup (OG) inference and functional enrichment analyses identified 220 clade Va-specific and Va-conserved OGs, enriched for functions related to cell cycle and cellular senescence. Further transcriptomic analysis identified 61 taxonomically and functionally conserved clade Va OGs that may function as drug targets for new broad-spectrum anthelmintics. Chemogenomic screening identified 11 compounds targeting homologs of these OGs, thus having potential anthelmintic activity. In in vitro phenotypic assays, three kinase inhibitors (digitoxigenin, K-252a, and staurosporine) exhibited broad-spectrum anthelmintic activities against clade Va GINs by obstructing the motility of exsheathed L3 (xL3) or molting of xL3 to L4. These results demonstrate valuable applications of the new ruminant GIN genomes in gaining better insights into their life cycles and offer a contemporary approach to discovering the next generation of anthelmintics.IMPORTANCEGastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections in ruminants are caused by parasites that inhibit normal function in the digestive tract of cattle, sheep, and goats, thereby causing morbidity and mortality. Coinfection and increasing drug resistance to current therapeutic agents will continue to worsen disease outcomes and impose significant production losses on domestic livestock producers worldwide. In combination with ongoing therapeutic efforts, advancing the discovery of new drugs with novel modes of action is critical for better controlling GIN infections. The significance of this study is in assembling and characterizing new GIN genomes of Cooperia oncophora, Ostertagia ostertagi, and Trichostrongylus colubriformis for facilitating a multi-omics approach to identify novel, biologically conserved drug targets for five major GINs of veterinary importance. With this information, we were then able to demonstrate the potential of commercially available compounds as new anthelmintics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyeim Jung
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Dante Zarlenga
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - John C. Martin
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Peter Geldhof
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | | | - Makedonka Mitreva
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jamil Al-Obaidi MM, Desa MNM. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the disruption of the blood-brain barrier in parasitic infections. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102. [PMID: 38284852 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Parasites have a significant impact on the neurological, cognitive, and mental well-being of humans, with a global population of over 1 billion individuals affected. The pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) injury in parasitic diseases remains limited, and prevention and control of parasitic CNS infections remain significant areas of research. Parasites, encompassing both unicellular and multicellular organisms, have intricate life cycles and possess the ability to infect a diverse range of hosts, including the human population. Parasitic illnesses that impact the central and peripheral nervous systems are a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in low- to middle-income nations. The precise pathways through which neurotropic parasites infiltrate the CNS by crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cause neurological harm remain incompletely understood. Investigating brain infections caused by parasites is closely linked to studying neuroinflammation and cerebral impairment. The exact molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in this process remain incomplete, but understanding the exact mechanisms could provide insight into their pathogenesis and potentially reveal novel therapeutic targets. This review paper explores the underlying mechanisms involved in the development of neurological disorders caused by parasites, including parasite-derived elements, host immune responses, and modifications in tight junctions (TJs) proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mazen M Jamil Al-Obaidi
- University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Rustaq College of Education, Science Department (Biology Unit), Rrustaq, Sultante of Oman
| | - Mohd Nasir Mohd Desa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Olivo-Freites C, Sy H, Cardenas-Alvarez J, Vega-Batista F, Henao-Martínez AF. Trypanosoma cruzi Central Nervous System Infection-Pathogenesis, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, and Treatment. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2023; 10:186-198. [PMID: 38983718 PMCID: PMC11233130 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-023-00300-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Chagas disease (CD) is a neglected tropical disease from the American continent that commonly causes cardiovascular disease. Some patients develop neurological manifestations. We discuss and summarize the pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of the central nervous system manifestations of CD. Recent Findings Cerebrospinal fluid quantitative polymerase chain reaction tests and next-generation sequencing in tissue samples have facilitated disease diagnosis and follow-up. Novel presentations, including retinitis, are now reported. A new MRI sign called "Bunch of açai berries appearance"-multiple hypointense nodular lesions-has been described recently. Treatment with benznidazole at higher doses and the role of therapeutic drug monitoring need to be further studied in this setting. Summary A high suspicion index is paramount to diagnosing Chagas' central nervous system involvement. Standardized molecular diagnostics can aid in the initial workup. Future development of new therapeutic drugs is crucial because of the toxicity profile of the currently available medications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hendrik Sy
- Division of Infectious Disease, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jorge Cardenas-Alvarez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Andrés F Henao-Martínez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Mail Stop B168, Aurora, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Useche Y, Pérez AR, de Meis J, Bonomo A, Savino W. Central nervous system commitment in Chagas disease. Front Immunol 2022; 13:975106. [PMID: 36439149 PMCID: PMC9685529 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.975106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) during human acute and chronic Chagas disease (CD) has been largely reported. Meningoencephalitis is a frequent finding during the acute infection, while during chronic phase the CNS involvement is often accompanied by behavioral and cognitive impairments. In the same vein, several studies have shown that rodents infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) display behavior abnormalities, accompanied by brain inflammation, in situ production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and parasitism in diverse cerebral areas, with involvement of microglia, macrophages, astrocytes, and neurons. However, the mechanisms used by the parasite to reach the brain remain now largely unknown. Herein we discuss the evidence unravelling the CNS involvement and complexity of neuroimmune interactions that take place in acute and chronic CD. Also, we provide some clues to hypothesize brain infections routes in human and experimental acute CD following oral infection by T. cruzi, an infection route that became a major CD related public health issue in Brazil.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yerly Useche
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Rosa Pérez
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Immunology of Rosario (IDICER CONICET UNR), Rosario, Argentina
- Center for Research and Production of Biological Reagents (CIPReB), Faculty of Medical Sciences National University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Juliana de Meis
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Adriana Bonomo
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wilson Savino
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zingales B, Bartholomeu DC. Trypanosoma cruzi genetic diversity: impact on transmission cycles and Chagas disease. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2022; 117:e210193. [PMID: 35544857 PMCID: PMC9088421 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760210193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease (ChD), exhibits remarkable biological and genetic diversity, along with eco-epidemiological complexity. In order to facilitate communication among researchers aiming at the characterisation of biological and epidemiological aspects of T. cruzi, parasite isolates and strains were partitioned into seven discrete typing units (DTUs), TcI-TcVI and TcBat, identifiable by reproducible genotyping protocols. Here we present the potential origin of the genetic diversity of T. cruzi and summarise knowledge about eco-epidemiological associations of DTUs with mammalian reservoirs and vectors. Circumstantial evidence of a connection between T. cruzi genotype and ChD manifestations is also discussed emphasising the role of the host’s immune response in clinical ChD progression. We describe genomic aspects of DTUs focusing on polymorphisms in multigene families encoding surface antigens that play essential functions for parasite survival both in the insect vector and the mammalian host. Such antigens most probably contributed to the parasite success in establishing infections in different hosts and exploring several niches. Gaps in the current knowledge and challenges for future research are pointed out.
Collapse
|
6
|
Trypanosoma cruzi Exploits E- and P-Selectins to Migrate Across Endothelial Cells and Extracellular Matrix Proteins. Infect Immun 2021; 89:e0017821. [PMID: 34228487 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00178-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi must extravasate to home in on susceptible cells residing in most tissues. It remains unknown how T. cruzi undertakes this crucial step of its life cycle. We hypothesized that the pathogen exploits the endothelial cell programming leukocytes use to extravasate to sites of inflammation. Transendothelial migration (TEM) starts after inflammatory cytokines induce E-selectin expression and P-selectin translocation on endothelial cells (ECs), enabling recognition by leukocyte ligands that engender rolling cell adhesion. Here we show that T. cruzi upregulates E- and P-selectins in cardiac ECs to which it binds in a ligand-receptor fashion, whether under static or shear flow conditions. Glycoproteins isolated from T. cruzi (TcEx) specifically recognize P-selectin in a ligand-receptor interaction. As with leukocytes, binding of P-selectin to T. cruzi or TcEx requires sialic acid and tyrosine sulfate, which are pivotal for downstream migration across ECs and extracellular matrix proteins. Additionally, soluble selectins, which bind T. cruzi, block transendothelial migration dose-dependently, implying that the pathogen bears selectin-binding ligand(s) that start transmigration. Furthermore, function-blocking antibodies against E- and P-selectins, which act on endothelial cells and not T. cruzi, are exquisite in preventing TEM. Thus, our results show that selectins can function as mediators of T. cruzi transendothelial transmigration, suggesting a pathogenic mechanism that allows homing in of the parasite on targeted tissues. As selectin inhibitors are sought-after therapeutic targets for autoimmune diseases and cancer metastasis, they may similarly represent a novel strategy for Chagas disease therapy.
Collapse
|
7
|
Participation of Central Muscarinic Receptors on the Nervous Form of Chagas Disease in Mice Infected via Intracerebroventricular with Colombian Trypanosoma cruzi Strain. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10020121. [PMID: 33503848 PMCID: PMC7922850 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute chagasic encephalitis is a clinically severe central nervous system (CNS) manifestation. However, the knowledge of the nervous form of Chagas disease is incomplete. The role of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) on mice behavior and brain lesions induced by Trypanosoma cruzi (Colombian strain) was herein investigated in mice treated with the mAChR agonist and antagonist (carbachol and atropine), respectively. Immunosuppressed or non-immunosuppressed mice were intracerebroventricularly (icv) or intraperitoneally (ip) infected. All groups were evaluated 15 d.p.i. (days post infection). Intraperitoneally infected animals had subpatent parasitemia. Patent parasitemia occurred only in icv infected mice. The blockade of mAChR increased the parasitemia, parasitism and lesions compared to its activation. Infected not treated (INT ip) mice did not present meningitis and encephalitis, regardless of immunosuppression. INT icv brains presented higher cellularity, discrete signs of cellular degeneration, frequent presence of parasites and focal meningitis. The immunosuppressed atropine + icv mice presented increased intracellular parasitism associated with degenerative parenchymal changes, while carbachol + icv mice presented discrete meningitis, preservation of the cortex and absence of relevant parasitism. Cholinergic receptor blockage increased impairment of coordination vs. receptor activation. Muscarinic cholinergic pathway seems to be involved in immune mediated cell invasion events while its blockade favored infection evolution, brain lesions, and behavioral alterations.
Collapse
|
8
|
Libisch MG, Rego N, Robello C. Transcriptional Studies on Trypanosoma cruzi - Host Cell Interactions: A Complex Puzzle of Variables. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:692134. [PMID: 34222052 PMCID: PMC8248493 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.692134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas Disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects nearly eight million people in the world. T. cruzi is a complex taxon represented by different strains with particular characteristics, and it has the ability to infect and interact with almost any nucleated cell. The T. cruzi-host cell interactions will trigger molecular signaling cascades in the host cell that will depend on the particular cell type and T. cruzi strain, and also on many different experimental variables. In this review we collect data from multiple transcriptomic and functional studies performed in different infection models, in order to highlight key differences between works that in our opinion should be addressed when comparing and discussing results. In particular, we focus on changes in the respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation of host cells in response to infection, which depends on the experimental model of T. cruzi infection. Finally, we also discuss host cell responses which reiterate independently of the strain, cell type and experimental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Gabriela Libisch
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno-UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Rego
- Unidad de Bioinformática, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Carlos Robello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno-UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- *Correspondence: Carlos Robello,
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Sepahi A, Kraus A, Casadei E, Johnston CA, Galindo-Villegas J, Kelly C, García-Moreno D, Muñoz P, Mulero V, Huertas M, Salinas I. Olfactory sensory neurons mediate ultrarapid antiviral immune responses in a TrkA-dependent manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12428-12436. [PMID: 31160464 DOI: 10.1101/464214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The nervous system regulates host immunity in complex ways. Vertebrate olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are located in direct contact with pathogens; however, OSNs' ability to detect danger and initiate immune responses is unclear. We report that nasal delivery of rhabdoviruses induces apoptosis in crypt OSNs via the interaction of the OSN TrkA receptor with the viral glycoprotein in teleost fish. This signal results in electrical activation of neurons and very rapid proinflammatory responses in the olfactory organ (OO), but dampened inflammation in the olfactory bulb (OB). CD8α+ cells infiltrate the OO within minutes of nasal viral delivery, and TrkA blocking, but not caspase-3 blocking, abrogates this response. Infiltrating CD8α+ cells were TCRαβ T cells with a nonconventional phenotype that originated from the microvasculature surrounding the OB and not the periphery. Nasal delivery of viral glycoprotein (G protein) recapitulated the immune responses observed with the whole virus, and antibody blocking of viral G protein abrogated these responses. Ablation of crypt neurons in zebrafish resulted in increased susceptibility to rhabdoviruses. These results indicate a function for OSNs as a first layer of pathogen detection in vertebrates and as orchestrators of nasal-CNS antiviral immune responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Sepahi
- Center of Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Aurora Kraus
- Center of Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Elisa Casadei
- Center of Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | | | - Jorge Galindo-Villegas
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8049 Bodø, Norway
| | - Cecelia Kelly
- Center of Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Diana García-Moreno
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Pilar Muñoz
- Department of Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Victoriano Mulero
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Mar Huertas
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666
| | - Irene Salinas
- Center of Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131;
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Olfactory sensory neurons mediate ultrarapid antiviral immune responses in a TrkA-dependent manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12428-12436. [PMID: 31160464 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1900083116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The nervous system regulates host immunity in complex ways. Vertebrate olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are located in direct contact with pathogens; however, OSNs' ability to detect danger and initiate immune responses is unclear. We report that nasal delivery of rhabdoviruses induces apoptosis in crypt OSNs via the interaction of the OSN TrkA receptor with the viral glycoprotein in teleost fish. This signal results in electrical activation of neurons and very rapid proinflammatory responses in the olfactory organ (OO), but dampened inflammation in the olfactory bulb (OB). CD8α+ cells infiltrate the OO within minutes of nasal viral delivery, and TrkA blocking, but not caspase-3 blocking, abrogates this response. Infiltrating CD8α+ cells were TCRαβ T cells with a nonconventional phenotype that originated from the microvasculature surrounding the OB and not the periphery. Nasal delivery of viral glycoprotein (G protein) recapitulated the immune responses observed with the whole virus, and antibody blocking of viral G protein abrogated these responses. Ablation of crypt neurons in zebrafish resulted in increased susceptibility to rhabdoviruses. These results indicate a function for OSNs as a first layer of pathogen detection in vertebrates and as orchestrators of nasal-CNS antiviral immune responses.
Collapse
|
11
|
Ledoux T, Aridgides D, Salvador R, Ngwenyama N, Panagiotidou S, Alcaide P, Blanton RM, Perrin MA. Trypanosoma cruzi Neurotrophic Factor Facilitates Cardiac Repair in a Mouse Model of Chronic Chagas Disease. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2018; 368:11-20. [PMID: 30348750 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.118.251900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Most patients acutely infected with Trypanosoma cruzi undergo short-term structural and functional cardiac alterations that heal without sequelae. By contrast, in patients whose disease progresses to chronic infection, irreversible degenerative chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) may develop. To account for the contrast between cardiac regeneration in high-parasitism acute infection and progressive cardiomyopathy in low-parasitism CCC, we hypothesized that T. cruzi expresses repair factors that directly facilitate cardiac regeneration. We investigated, as one such repair factor, the T. cruzi parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF), known to trigger survival of cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts and upregulate chemokine chemokine C-C motif ligand 2, which promotes migration of regenerative cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). Using in vivo and in vitro models of Chagas disease, we tested whether T. cruzi PDNF promotes cardiac repair. Quantitative PCR and flow cytometry of heart tissue revealed that stem-cell antigen-1 (Sca-1+) CPCs expand in acute infection in parallel to parasitism. Recombinant PDNF induced survival and expansion of ex vivo CPCs, and intravenous administration of PDNF into naïve mice upregulated mRNA of cardiac stem-cell marker Sca-1. Furthermore, in CCC mice, a 3-week intravenous administration of PDNF protocol induced CPC expansion and reversed left ventricular T-cell accumulation and cardiac remodeling including fibrosis. Compared with CCC vehicle-treated mice, which developed severe atrioventricular block, PDNF-treated mice exhibited reduced frequency and severity of conduction abnormalities. Our findings are in support of the novel concept that T. cruzi uses PDNF to promote mutually beneficial cardiac repair in Chagas disease. This could indicate a possible path to prevention or treatment of CCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Ledoux
- Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (T.L., S.P., M.P.) and Program in Immunology (D.A., R.S., N.N., P.A.), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Departments of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (T.L., D.A., R.S., S.P., M.P.) and Immunology (N.N., P.A.), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and Division of Cardiology (R.B.), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel Aridgides
- Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (T.L., S.P., M.P.) and Program in Immunology (D.A., R.S., N.N., P.A.), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Departments of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (T.L., D.A., R.S., S.P., M.P.) and Immunology (N.N., P.A.), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and Division of Cardiology (R.B.), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ryan Salvador
- Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (T.L., S.P., M.P.) and Program in Immunology (D.A., R.S., N.N., P.A.), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Departments of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (T.L., D.A., R.S., S.P., M.P.) and Immunology (N.N., P.A.), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and Division of Cardiology (R.B.), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Njabulo Ngwenyama
- Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (T.L., S.P., M.P.) and Program in Immunology (D.A., R.S., N.N., P.A.), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Departments of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (T.L., D.A., R.S., S.P., M.P.) and Immunology (N.N., P.A.), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and Division of Cardiology (R.B.), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Smaro Panagiotidou
- Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (T.L., S.P., M.P.) and Program in Immunology (D.A., R.S., N.N., P.A.), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Departments of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (T.L., D.A., R.S., S.P., M.P.) and Immunology (N.N., P.A.), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and Division of Cardiology (R.B.), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pilar Alcaide
- Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (T.L., S.P., M.P.) and Program in Immunology (D.A., R.S., N.N., P.A.), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Departments of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (T.L., D.A., R.S., S.P., M.P.) and Immunology (N.N., P.A.), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and Division of Cardiology (R.B.), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert M Blanton
- Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (T.L., S.P., M.P.) and Program in Immunology (D.A., R.S., N.N., P.A.), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Departments of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (T.L., D.A., R.S., S.P., M.P.) and Immunology (N.N., P.A.), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and Division of Cardiology (R.B.), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mercio A Perrin
- Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (T.L., S.P., M.P.) and Program in Immunology (D.A., R.S., N.N., P.A.), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Departments of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (T.L., D.A., R.S., S.P., M.P.) and Immunology (N.N., P.A.), Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and Division of Cardiology (R.B.), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Duarte JG, Nascimento RD, Martins PR, d'Ávila Reis D. Evaluation of the immunoreactivity of nerve growth factor and tropomyosin receptor kinase A in the esophagus of noninfected and infected individuals with Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:1647-1655. [PMID: 29550999 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5838-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Megaesophagus is one of the major manifestations of the chronic phase of Chagas disease. Its primary symptom is generally dysphagia due to disturbance in the lower esophageal sphincter. Microscopically, the affected organ presents denervation, which has been considered as consequence of an inflammatory process that begins at the acute phase and persists in the chronic phase. Inflammatory infiltrates are composed of lymphocytes, macrophages, natural killer cells, mast cells, and eosinophils. In this study, we evaluated the immunoreactivity of nerve growth factor (NGF), and of its receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA), molecules that are well known for having a relevant role in neuroimmune communication in the gastrointestinal tract. Esophageal samples obtained via autopsy or surgery procedures from six noninfected individuals, six infected individuals without megaesophagus, and six infected individuals with megaesophagus were analyzed. Infected individuals without megaesophagus presented increased numbers of NGF immunoreactive (IR) mast cells and increased areas of TrkA-IR epithelial cells and inner muscle cells. Infected individuals with megaesophagus showed increased numbers of NGF-IR eosinophils and mast cells, TrkA-IR eosinophils and mast cells, increased area of NGF-IR epithelial cells, and increased areas of TrkA-IR epithelials cells and inner muscle cells. The data presented here point to the participation of NGF and its TrkA receptor in the pathology of chagasic megaesophagus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Garcia Duarte
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo Duarte Nascimento
- Departamento de Ciências Básicas da Vida, Instituto de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Patrícia Rocha Martins
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora d'Ávila Reis
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Reis-Cunha JL, Valdivia HO, Bartholomeu DC. Gene and Chromosomal Copy Number Variations as an Adaptive Mechanism Towards a Parasitic Lifestyle in Trypanosomatids. Curr Genomics 2018; 19:87-97. [PMID: 29491737 PMCID: PMC5814966 DOI: 10.2174/1389202918666170911161311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are a group of kinetoplastid parasites including some of great public health importance, causing debilitating and life-long lasting diseases that affect more than 24 million people worldwide. Among the trypanosomatids, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and species from the Leishmania genus are the most well studied parasites, due to their high prevalence in human infections. These parasites have an extreme genomic and phenotypic variability, with a massive expansion in the copy number of species-specific multigene families enrolled in host-parasite interactions that mediate cellular invasion and immune evasion processes. As most trypanosomatids are heteroxenous, and therefore their lifecycles involve the transition between different hosts, these parasites have developed several strategies to ensure a rapid adaptation to changing environments. Among these strategies, a rapid shift in the repertoire of expressed genes, genetic variability and genome plasticity are key mechanisms. Trypanosomatid genomes are organized into large directional gene clusters that are transcribed polycistronically, where genes derived from the same polycistron may have very distinct mRNA levels. This particular mode of transcription implies that the control of gene expression operates mainly at post-transcriptional level. In this sense, gene duplications/losses were already associated with changes in mRNA levels in these parasites. Gene duplications also allow the generation of sequence variability, as the newly formed copy can diverge without loss of function of the original copy. Recently, aneuploidies have been shown to occur in several Leishmania species and T. cruzi strains. Although aneuploidies are usually associated with debilitating phenotypes in superior eukaryotes, recent data shows that it could also provide increased fitness in stress conditions and generate drug resistance in unicellular eukaryotes. In this review, we will focus on gene and chromosomal copy number variations and their relevance to the evolution of trypanosomatid parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João Luís Reis-Cunha
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Imunologia e Genômica de Parasitos, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Hugo O. Valdivia
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Imunologia e Genômica de Parasitos, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Biomédicas y Medioambientales, Callao, Peru
| | - Daniella Castanheira Bartholomeu
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Imunologia e Genômica de Parasitos, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Biomédicas y Medioambientales, Callao, Peru
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Freire-de-Lima L, Fonseca LM, Oeltmann T, Mendonça-Previato L, Previato JO. The trans-sialidase, the major Trypanosoma cruzi virulence factor: Three decades of studies. Glycobiology 2015. [PMID: 26224786 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwv057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas' disease is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Since the description of Chagas'disease in 1909 extensive research has identified important events in the disease in order to understand the biochemical mechanism that modulates T. cruzi-host cell interactions and the ability of the parasite to ensure its survival in the infected host. Exactly 30 years ago, we presented evidence for the first time of a trans-sialidase activity in T. cruzi (T. cruzi-TS). This enzyme transfers sialic acid from the host glycoconjugates to the terminal β-galactopyranosyl residues of mucin-like molecules on the parasite's cell surface. Thenceforth, many articles have provided convincing data showing that T. cruzi-TS is able to govern relevant mechanisms involved in the parasite's survival in the mammalian host, such as invasion, escape from the phagolysosomal vacuole, differentiation, down-modulation of host immune responses, among others. The aim of this review is to cover the history of the discovery of T. cruzi-TS, as well as some well-documented biological effects encompassed by this parasite's virulence factor, an enzyme with potential attributes to become a drug target against Chagas disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Freire-de-Lima
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21944902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - L M Fonseca
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21944902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - T Oeltmann
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - L Mendonça-Previato
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21944902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - J O Previato
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21944902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Parasite-derived neurotrophic factor/trans-sialidase of Trypanosoma cruzi links neurotrophic signaling to cardiac innate immune response. Infect Immun 2014; 82:3687-96. [PMID: 24935974 DOI: 10.1128/iai.02098-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chagas' disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi elicits a potent inflammatory response in acutely infected hearts that keeps parasitism in check and triggers cardiac abnormalities. A most-studied mechanism underlying innate immunity in T. cruzi infection is Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation by lipids and other parasite molecules. However, yet-to-be-identified pathways should exist. Here, we show that T. cruzi strongly upregulates monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1)/CCL2 and fractalkine (FKN)/CX3CL1 in cellular and mouse models of heart infection. Mechanistically, upregulation of MCP-1 and FKN stems from the interaction of parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF)/trans-sialidase with neurotrophic receptors TrkA and TrkC, as assessed by pharmacological inhibition, neutralizing antibodies, and gene silencing studies. Administration of a single dose of intravenous PDNF to naive mice results in a dose-dependent increase in MCP-1 and FKN in the heart and liver with pulse-like kinetics that peak at 3 h postinjection. Intravenous PDNF also augments MCP-1 and FKN in TLR signaling-deficient MyD88-knockout mice, underscoring the MyD88-independent action of PDNF. Although single PDNF injections do not increase MCP-1 and FKN receptors, multiple PDNF injections at short intervals up the levels of receptor transcripts in the heart and liver, suggesting that sustained PDNF triggers cell recruitment at infection sites. Thus, given that MCP-1 and FKN are chemokines essential to the recruitment of immune cells to combat inflammation triggers and to enhance tissue repair, our findings uncover a new mechanism in innate immunity against T. cruzi infection mediated by Trk signaling akin to an endogenous inflammatory and fibrotic pathway resulting from cardiomyocyte-TrkA recognition by matricellular connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2).
Collapse
|
16
|
Oliveira IA, Freire-de-Lima L, Penha LL, Dias WB, Todeschini AR. Trypanosoma cruzi Trans-sialidase: structural features and biological implications. Subcell Biochem 2014; 74:181-201. [PMID: 24264246 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7305-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase (TcTS) has intrigued researchers all over the world since it was shown that T. cruzi incorporates sialic acid through a mechanism independent of sialyltransferases. The enzyme has being involved in a vast myriad of functions in the biology of the parasite and in the pathology of Chagas' disease. At the structural level experiments trapping the intermediate with fluorosugars followed by peptide mapping, X-ray crystallography, molecular modeling and magnetic nuclear resonance have opened up a three-dimensional understanding of the way this enzyme works. Herein we review the multiple biological roles of TcTS and the structural studies that are slowly revealing the secrets underlining an efficient sugar transfer activity rather than simple hydrolysis by TcTS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isadora A Oliveira
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia Estrutural e Funcional, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Centro de Ciências da Saúde-Bloco D-3, 21941-902, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Mattos EC, Tonelli RR, Colli W, Alves MJM. The Gp85 surface glycoproteins from Trypanosoma cruzi. Subcell Biochem 2014; 74:151-180. [PMID: 24264245 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7305-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi strains show distinctive characteristics as genetic polymorphism and infectivity. Large repertoires of molecules, such as the Gp85 glycoproteins, members of the Gp85/Trans-sialidase superfamily, as well as multiple signaling pathways, are associated with invasion of mammalian cells by the parasite. Due to the large number of expressed members, encoded by more than 700 genes, the research focused on this superfamily conserved sequences is discussed. Binding sites to laminin have been identified at the N-terminus of the Gp85 molecules. Interestingly, the T. cruzi protein phosphorylation profile is changed upon parasite binding to laminin (or fibronectin), particularly the cytoskeletal proteins such as those from the paraflagellar rod and the tubulins, which are both markedly dephosphorylated. Detailed analysis of the signaling cascades triggered upon T. cruzi binding to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins revealed the involvement of the MAPK/ERK pathway in this event. At the C-terminus, the conserved FLY sequence is a cytokeratin-binding domain and is involved in augmented host cell invasion in vitro and high levels of parasitemia in vivo. FLY, which is associated to tissue tropism and preferentially binds to the heart vasculature may somehow be correlated with the severe cardiac form, an important clinical manifestation of chronic Chagas' disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eliciane C Mattos
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, 05508-900, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
Chagas heart disease, the leading cause of heart failure in Latin America, results from infection with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Although T. cruzi disseminates intravascularly, how the parasite contends with the endothelial barrier to escape the bloodstream and infect tissues has not been described. Understanding the interaction between T. cruzi and the vascular endothelium, likely a key step in parasite dissemination, could inform future therapies to interrupt disease pathogenesis. We adapted systems useful in the study of leukocyte transmigration to investigate both the occurrence of parasite transmigration and its determinants in vitro. Here we provide the first evidence that T. cruzi can rapidly migrate across endothelial cells by a mechanism that is distinct from productive infection and does not disrupt monolayer integrity or alter permeability. Our results show that this process is facilitated by a known modulator of cellular infection and vascular permeability, bradykinin, and can be augmented by the chemokine CCL2. These represent novel findings in our understanding of parasite dissemination, and may help identify new therapeutic strategies to limit the dissemination of the parasite.
Collapse
|
19
|
Aridgides D, Salvador R, PereiraPerrin M. Trypanosoma cruzi highjacks TrkC to enter cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts while exploiting TrkA for cardioprotection against oxidative stress. Cell Microbiol 2013; 15:1357-66. [PMID: 23414299 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2012] [Revised: 01/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC), caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Latin America. CCC begins when T. cruzi enters cardiac cells for intracellular multiplication and differentiation, a process that starts with recognition of host-cell entry receptors. However, the nature of these surface molecules and corresponding parasite counter-receptor(s) is poorly understood. Here we show that antibodies against neurotrophin (NT) receptor TrkC, but not against family members TrkA and TrkB, prevent T. cruzi from invading primary cultures of cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. Invasion is also selectively blocked by the TrkC ligand NT-3, and by antagonists of Trk autophosphorylation and downstream signalling. Therefore, these results indicate that T. cruzi gets inside cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts by activating TrkC preferentially over TrkA. Accordingly, short hairpin RNA interference of TrkC (shTrkC), but not TrkA, selectively prevents T. cruzi from entering cardiac cells. Additionally, T. cruzi parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF)/trans-sialidase, a TrkC-binding protein, but not family member gp85, blocks entry dose-dependently, underscoring the specificity of PDNF as TrkC counter-receptor in cardiac cell invasion. In contrast to invasion, competitive and shRNA inhibition studies demonstrate that T. cruzi-PDNF recognition of TrkA, but not TrkC on primary cardiomyocytes and the cardiomyocyte cell line H9c2 protects the cells against oxidative stress. Thus, this study shows that T. cruzi via PDNF favours neurotrophin receptor TrkC for cardiac cell entry and TrkA for cardiomyocyte protection against oxidative stress, and suggests a new therapeutic opportunity in PDNF and/or fragments thereof for CCC therapy as entry inhibitors and/or cardioprotection agonists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Aridgides
- Graduate Program in Immunology, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Aridgides D, Salvador R, PereiraPerrin M. Trypanosoma cruzi coaxes cardiac fibroblasts into preventing cardiomyocyte death by activating nerve growth factor receptor TrkA. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57450. [PMID: 23437390 PMCID: PMC3578799 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale Cardiomyocytes express neurotrophin receptor TrkA that promotes survival following nerve growth factor (NGF) ligation. Whether TrkA also resides in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and underlies cardioprotection is unknown. Objective To test whether CFs express TrkA that conveys paracrine signals to neighbor cardiomyocytes using, as probe, the Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which expresses a TrkA-binding neurotrophin mimetic, named PDNF. T cruzi targets the heart, causing chronic debilitating cardiomyopathy in ∼30% patients. Methods and Results Basal levels of TrkA and TrkC in primary CFs are comparable to those in cardiomyocytes. However, in the myocardium, TrkA expression is significantly lower in fibroblasts than myocytes, and vice versa for TrkC. Yet T cruzi recognition of TrkA on fibroblasts, preferentially over cardiomyocytes, triggers a sharp and sustained increase in NGF, including in the heart of infected mice or of mice administered PDNF intravenously, as early as 3-h post-administration. Further, NGF-containing T cruzi- or PDNF-induced fibroblast-conditioned medium averts cardiomyocyte damage by H2O2, in agreement with the previously recognized cardioprotective role of NGF. Conclusions TrkA residing in CFs induces an exuberant NGF production in response to T cruzi infection, enabling, in a paracrine fashion, myocytes to resist oxidative stress, a leading Chagas cardiomyopathy trigger. Thus, PDNF-TrkA interaction on CFs may be a mechanism orchestrated by T cruzi to protect its heart habitat, in concert with the long-term (decades) asymptomatic heart parasitism that characterizes Chagas disease. Moreover, as a potent booster of cardioprotective NGF in vivo, PDNF may offer a novel therapeutic opportunity against cardiomyopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Aridgides
- Graduate Program in Immunology, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
- Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ryan Salvador
- Graduate Program in Immunology, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
- Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mercio PereiraPerrin
- Graduate Program in Immunology, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
- Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Calvet CM, Melo TG, Garzoni LR, Oliveira FOR, Neto DTS, N S L M, Meirelles L, Pereira MCS. Current understanding of the Trypanosoma cruzi-cardiomyocyte interaction. Front Immunol 2012; 3:327. [PMID: 23115558 PMCID: PMC3483718 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2012.00327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, exhibits multiple strategies to ensure its establishment and persistence in the host. Although this parasite has the ability to infect different organs, heart impairment is the most frequent clinical manifestation of the disease. Advances in knowledge of T. cruzi-cardiomyocyte interactions have contributed to a better understanding of the biological events involved in the pathogenesis of Chagas disease. This brief review focuses on the current understanding of molecules involved in T. cruzi-cardiomyocyte recognition, the mechanism of invasion, and on the effect of intracellular development of T. cruzi on the structural organization and molecular response of the target cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia M Calvet
- Laboratório de Ultra-estrutura Celular, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
dC-Rubin SSC, Schenkman S. Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase as a multifunctional enzyme in Chagas’ disease. Cell Microbiol 2012; 14:1522-30. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2012.01831.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergio Schenkman
- Departamento de Microbiologia; Imunologia e Parasitologia; Universidade Federal de São Paulo; UNIFESP; São Paulo; Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Abstract
The Trypanosoma cruzi genome contains the most widely expanded content (∼12,000 genes) of the trypanosomatids sequenced to date. This expansion is reflected in the high number of repetitive sequences and particularly in the large quantity of genes that make up its multigene families. Recently it was discovered that the contents of these families vary between phylogenetically unrelated strains. We review the basic characteristics of trans-sialidases and mucins as part of the mechanisms of immune evasion of T. cruzi and as ligands and factors involved in the cross talk between the host cell and the parasite. We also show recently published data describing two new multigene families, DGF-1 and MASP, that form an important part of the scenario representing the complex biology of T. cruzi.
Collapse
|
24
|
Biologic and genetics aspects of chagas disease at endemic areas. J Trop Med 2012; 2012:357948. [PMID: 22529863 PMCID: PMC3317048 DOI: 10.1155/2012/357948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2011] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The etiologic agent of Chagas Disease is the Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted through blood-sucking insect vectors of the Triatominae subfamily, representing one of the most serious public health concerns in Latin America. There are geographic variations in the prevalence of clinical forms and morbidity of Chagas disease, likely due to genetic variation of the T. cruzi and the host genetic and environmental features. Increasing evidence has supported that inflammatory cytokines and chemokines are responsible for the generation of the inflammatory infiltrate and tissue damage. Moreover, genetic polymorphisms, protein expression levels, and genomic imbalances are associated with disease progression. This paper discusses these key aspects. Large surveys were carried out in Brazil and served as baseline for definition of the control measures adopted. However, Chagas disease is still active, and aspects such as host-parasite interactions, genetic mechanisms of cellular interaction, genetic variability, and tropism need further investigations in the attempt to eradicate the disease.
Collapse
|
25
|
Chuenkova MV, Pereiraperrin M. Neurodegeneration and neuroregeneration in Chagas disease. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2011; 76:195-233. [PMID: 21884893 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-385895-5.00009-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Autonomic dysfunction plays a significant role in the development of chronic Chagas disease (CD). Destruction of cardiac parasympathetic ganglia can underlie arrhythmia and heart failure, while lesions of enteric neurons in the intestinal plexuses are a direct cause of aperistalsis and megasyndromes. Neuropathology is generated by acute infection when the parasite, though not directly damaging to neuronal cells, elicits immune reactions that can become cytotoxic, inducing oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. Anti-neuronal autoimmunity may further contribute to neuropathology. Much less clear is the mechanism of subsequent neuronal regeneration in patients that survive acute infection. Morphological and functional recovery of the peripheral neurons in these patients correlates with the absence of CD clinical symptoms, while persistent neuronal deficiency is observed for the symptomatic group. The discovery that Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase can moonlight as a parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF) suggests that the parasite might influence the balance between neuronal degeneration and regeneration. PDNF functionally mimics mammalian neurotrophic factors in that it binds and activates neurotrophin Trk tyrosine kinase receptors, a mechanism which prevents neurodegeneration. PDNF binding to Trk receptors triggers PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β and MAPK/Erk/CREB signalling cascades which in neurons translates into resistance to oxidative and nutritional stress, and inhibition of apoptosis, whereas in the cytoplasm of infected cells, PDNF represents a substrate-activator of the host Akt kinase, enhancing host-cell survival until completion of the intracellular cycle of the parasite. Such dual activity of PDNF provides sustained activation of survival mechanisms which, while prolonging parasite persistence in host tissues, can underlie distinct outcomes of CD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina V Chuenkova
- Department of Pathology and Sackler School of Graduate Students, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Caradonna KL, Burleigh BA. Mechanisms of host cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2011; 76:33-61. [PMID: 21884886 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-385895-5.00002-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
One of the more accepted concepts in our understanding of the biology of early Trypanosoma cruzi-host cell interactions is that the mammalian-infective trypomastigote forms of the parasite must transit the host cell lysosomal compartment in order to establish a productive intracellular infection. The acidic environment of the lysosome provides the appropriate conditions for parasite-mediated disruption of the parasitophorous vacuole and release of T. cruzi into the host cell cytosol, where replication of intracellular amastigotes occurs. Recent findings indicate a level of redundancy in the lysosome-targeting process where T. cruzi trypomastigotes exploit different cellular pathways to access host cell lysosomes in non-professional phagocytic cells. In addition, the reversible nature of the host cell penetration process was recently demonstrated when conditions for fusion of the nascent parasite vacuole with the host endosomal-lysosomal system were not met. Thus, the concept of parasite retention as a critical component of the T. cruzi invasion process was introduced. Although it is clear that host cell recognition, attachment and signalling are required to initiate invasion, integration of this knowledge with our understanding of the different routes of parasite entry is largely lacking. In this chapter, we focus on current knowledge of the cellular pathways exploited by T. cruzi trypomastigotes to invade non-professional phagocytic cells and to gain access to the host cell lysosome compartment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kacey L Caradonna
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston,Massachusetts, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Neurotrophin receptor TrkC is an entry receptor for Trypanosoma cruzi in neural, glial, and epithelial cells. Infect Immun 2011; 79:4081-7. [PMID: 21788388 DOI: 10.1128/iai.05403-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease, infects a variety of mammalian cells in a process that includes multiple cycles of intracellular division and differentiation starting with host receptor recognition by a parasite ligand(s). Earlier work in our laboratory showed that the neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) receptor TrkC is activated by T. cruzi surface trans-sialidase, also known as parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF). However, it has remained unclear whether TrkC is used by T. cruzi to enter host cells. Here, we show that a neuronal cell line (PC12-NNR5) relatively resistant to T. cruzi became highly susceptible to infection when overexpressing human TrkC but not human TrkB. Furthermore, trkC transfection conferred an ∼3.0-fold intracellular growth advantage. Sialylation-deficient Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) epithelial cell lines Lec1 and Lec2 also became much more permissive to T. cruzi after transfection with the trkC gene. Additionally, NT-3 specifically blocked T. cruzi infection of the TrkC-NNR5 transfectants and of naturally permissive TrkC-bearing Schwann cells and astrocytes, as did recombinant PDNF. Two specific inhibitors of Trk autophosphorylation (K252a and AG879) and inhibitors of Trk-induced MAPK/Erk (U0126) and Akt kinase (LY294002) signaling, but not an inhibitor of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, abrogated TrkC-mediated cell invasion. Antibody to TrkC blocked T. cruzi infection of the TrkC-NNR5 transfectants and of cells that naturally express TrkC. The TrkC antibody also significantly and specifically reduced cutaneous infection in a mouse model of acute Chagas' disease. TrkC is ubiquitously expressed in the peripheral and central nervous systems, and in nonneural cells infected by T. cruzi, including cardiac and gastrointestinal muscle cells. Thus, TrkC is implicated as a functional PDNF receptor in cell entry, independently of sialic acid recognition, mediating broad T. cruzi infection both in vitro and in vivo.
Collapse
|
28
|
Trypanosoma cruzi infection induces a global host cell response in cardiomyocytes. Infect Immun 2011; 79:1855-62. [PMID: 21343357 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00643-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas' disease, caused by the hemoflagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions of people in South and Central America. Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy, the most devastating manifestation of this disease, occurs in approximately one-third of infected individuals. Events associated with the parasite's tropism for and invasion of cardiomyocytes have been the focus of intense investigation in recent years. In the present study, we use murine microarrays to investigate the cellular response caused by invasion of primary murine cardiomyocytes by T. cruzi trypomastigotes. These studies identified 353 murine genes that were differentially expressed during the early stages of invasion and infection of these cells. Genes associated with the immune response, inflammation, cytoskeleton organization, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, apoptosis, cell cycle, and oxidative stress are among those affected during the infection. Our data indicate that T. cruzi induces broad modulations of the host cell machinery in ways that provide insight into how the parasite survives, replicates, and persists in the infected host and ultimately defines the clinical outcome of the infection.
Collapse
|
29
|
Nagajyothi F, Weiss LM, Silver DL, Desruisseaux MS, Scherer PE, Herz J, Tanowitz HB. Trypanosoma cruzi utilizes the host low density lipoprotein receptor in invasion. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2011; 5:e953. [PMID: 21408103 PMCID: PMC3051337 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2010] [Accepted: 01/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Trypanosoma cruzi, an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects humans and other mammalian hosts, is the etiologic agent in Chagas disease. This parasite can invade a wide variety of mammalian cells. The mechanism(s) by which T. cruzi invades its host cell is not completely understood. The activation of many signaling receptors during invasion has been reported; however, the exact mechanism by which parasites cross the host cell membrane barrier and trigger fusion of the parasitophorous vacuole with lysosomes is not understood. Methodology/Principal Findings In order to explore the role of the Low Density Lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) in T. cruzi invasion, we evaluated LDLr parasite interactions using immunoblot and immunofluorescence (IFA) techniques. These experiments demonstrated that T. cruzi infection increases LDLr levels in infected host cells, inhibition or disruption of LDLr reduces parasite load in infected cells, T. cruzi directly binds recombinant LDLr, and LDLr-dependent T. cruzi invasion requires PIP2/3. qPCR analysis demonstrated a massive increase in LDLr mRNA (8000 fold) in the heart of T. cruzi infected mice, which is observed as early as 15 days after infection. IFA shows a co-localization of both LDL and LDLr with parasites in infected heart. Conclusions/Significance These data highlight, for the first time, that LDLr is involved in host cell invasion by this parasite and the subsequent fusion of the parasitophorous vacuole with the host cell lysosomal compartment. The model suggested by this study unifies previous models of host cell invasion for this pathogenic protozoon. Overall, these data indicate that T. cruzi targets LDLr and its family members during invasion. Binding to LDL likely facilitates parasite entry into host cells. The observations in this report suggest that therapeutic strategies based on the interaction of T. cruzi and the LDLr pathway should be pursued as possible targets to modify the pathogenesis of disease following infection. Trypanosoma cruzi, an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease in humans and results in the development of cardiomyopathy, is a major health problem in endemic areas. This parasite can invade a wide variety of mammalian cells. The mechanisms by which these parasites invade their host cells are not completely understood. Our study highlights, for the first time, that the Low Density Lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) is important in the invasion and the subsequent fusion of the parasitophorous vacuole with host lysosomes. We demonstrate that T. cruzi directly binds to LDLr, and inhibition or disruption of LDLr significantly decreases parasite entry. Additionally, we have determined that this cross-linking triggers the accumulation of LDLr and phosphotidylinositol phosphates in coated pits, which initiates a signaling cascade that results in the recruitment of lysosomes, possibly via the sorting motif in the cytoplasmic tail of LDLr, to the site of adhesion/invasion. Studies of infected CD1 mice demonstrate that LDLs accumulate in infected heart and that LDLr co-localize with internalized parasites. Overall, this study demonstrates that LDLr and its family members, engaged mainly in lipoprotein transportation, are also involved in T. cruzi entry into host cells and this interaction likely contributes to the progression of chronic cardiomyopathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fnu Nagajyothi
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Lu B, Luquetti AO, Rassi A, PereiraPerrin M. Autoantibodies to neurotrophic receptors TrkA, TrkB and TrkC in patients with acute Chagas' disease. Scand J Immunol 2010; 71:220-5. [PMID: 20415787 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2009.02364.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Neurotrophic receptors TrkA and TrkC double up as receptors that Trypanosoma cruzi uses to invade cells and as autoantigen in T. cruzi-infected individuals (with Chagas' disease). Consequently, autoantibodies against TrkA and TrkC (ATA) potently block T. cruzi invasion in vitro and in ATA-immunized mice. Thus, ATA could keep T. cruzi invasion in check in Chagas' disease. However, ATA has been examined only in patients with chronic Chagas' disease. To determine whether ATA potentially participate in the early stage of infection, we analysed the sera of 15 patients with acute Chagas' disease, 4-66 years of age. We find that all sera contain high antibody titres to TrkA, TrkB and TrkC, but not to other growth factor receptors, indicating that ATA are produced relatively soon after T. cruzi infection by an age-independent process. One individual, who acquired the disease after an accidental laboratory infection, converted to Trk-antibody (Ab)-seronegative when progressing to the chronic phase. ATA from acute patients were of low avidity (K(0) <24.8 x 10(-8) m) and of IgM and IgA isotypes. In contrast, ATA from chronic patients were of high avidity (K(o) = 1.4 to 4.5 x 10(-8) m) and of the IgG2 isotype. Therefore, ATA underwent affinity maturation and class switch when patients progressed from acute to chronic disease. Thus, it may be that Trk autoimmunity, which starts in the acute Chagas' disease, plays a role in attenuating parasitemia and tissue parasitism that characterizes the acute/chronic phase transition of Chagas' disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Lu
- Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Chuenkova MV, Pereiraperrin M. Trypanosoma cruzi-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: Role in Neural Repair and Neuroprotection. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 1:55-60. [PMID: 21572925 DOI: 10.4303/jnp/n100507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Some patients infected with the parasite Try-panosoma cruzi develop chronic Chagas' disease, while others remain asymptomatic for life. Although pathological mechanisms that govern disease progression remain unclear, the balance between degeneration and regeneration in the peripheral nervous system seems to contribute to the different clinical outcomes. This review focuses on certain new aspects of host-parasite interactions related to regeneration in the host nervous system induced by the trans-sialidase of T. cruzi, also known as a parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF). PDNF plays multiple roles in T. cruzi infection, ranging from immunosuppression to functional mimicry of mammalian neurotrophic factors and inhibition of apoptosis. PDNF affinity to neurotrophin Trk receptors provide sustained activation of cellular survival mechanisms resulting in neuroprotection and neuronal repair, resistance to cytotoxic insults and enhancement of neuritogenesis. Such unique PDNF-elicited regenerative responses likely prolong parasite persistence in infected tissues while reducing neuropathology in Chagas' disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina V Chuenkova
- Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Chuenkova MV, PereiraPerrin M. Trypanosoma cruzi targets Akt in host cells as an intracellular antiapoptotic strategy. Sci Signal 2009; 2:ra74. [PMID: 19920252 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2000374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas' disease, differentiates in the cytosol of its host cell and then replicates and spreads infection, processes that require the long-term survival of the infected cells. Here, we show that in the cytosol, parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF), a trans-sialidase that is located on the surface of T. cruzi, is both a substrate and an activator of the serine-threonine kinase Akt, an antiapoptotic molecule. PDNF increases the expression of the gene that encodes Akt while suppressing the transcription of genes that encode proapoptotic factors. Consequently, PDNF elicits a sustained functional response that protects host cells from apoptosis induced by oxidative stress and the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha and transforming growth factor-beta. Given that PDNF also activates Akt by binding to the neurotrophic surface receptor TrkA, we propose that this protein activates survival signaling both at the cell surface, by acting as a receptor-binding ligand, and inside cells, by acting as a scaffolding adaptor protein downstream of the receptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina V Chuenkova
- Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Wilson KHS. The genome sequence of the protostome Daphnia pulex encodes respective orthologues of a neurotrophin, a Trk and a p75NTR: evolution of neurotrophin signaling components and related proteins in the bilateria. BMC Evol Biol 2009; 9:243. [PMID: 19807921 PMCID: PMC2772990 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-9-243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2008] [Accepted: 10/06/2009] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurotrophins and their Trk and p75NTR receptors play an important role in the nervous system. To date, neurotrophins, Trk and p75NTR have only been found concomitantly in deuterostomes. In protostomes, homologues to either neurotrophin, Trk or p75NTR are reported but their phylogenetic relationship to deuterostome neurotrophin signaling components is unclear. Drosophila has neurotrophin homologues called Spätzles (Spz), some of which were recently renamed neurotrophins, but direct proof that these are deuterostome neurotrophin orthologues is lacking. Trks belong to the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family and among RTKs, Trks and RORs are closest related. Flies lack Trks but have ROR and ROR-related proteins called NRKs playing a neurotrophic role. Mollusks have so far the most similar proteins to Trks (Lymnaea Trk and Aplysia Trkl) but the exact phylogenetic relationship of mollusk Trks to each other and to vertebrate Trks is unknown. p75NTR belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily. The divergence of the TNFR families in vertebrates has been suggested to parallel the emergence of the adaptive immune system. Only one TNFR representative, the Drosophila Wengen, has been found in protostomes. To clarify the evolution of neurotrophin signaling components in bilateria, this work analyzes the genome of the crustacean Daphnia pulex as well as new genetic data from protostomes. Results The Daphnia genome encodes a neurotrophin, p75NTR and Trk orthologue together with Trkl, ROR, and NRK-RTKs. Drosophila Spz1, 2, 3, 5, 6 orthologues as well as two new groups of Spz proteins (Spz7 and 8) are also found in the Daphnia genome. Searching genbank and the genomes of Capitella, Helobdella and Lottia reveals neurotrophin signaling components in other protostomes. Conclusion It appears that a neurotrophin, Trk and p75NTR existed at the protostome/deuterostome split. In protostomes, a "neurotrophin superfamily" includes Spzs and neurotrophins which respectively form two paralogous families. Trks and Trkl proteins also form closely related paralogous families within the protostomian RTKs, whereby Trkls are absent in deuterostomes. The finding of p75NTR in several protostomes suggests that death domain TNFR superfamily proteins appeared early in evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen H S Wilson
- University of Gothenburg, The Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences - Kristineberg, S-450 34 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Alves MJM, Mortara RA. A century of research: what have we learned about the interaction of Trypanosoma cruzi with host cells? Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2009; 104 Suppl 1:76-88. [DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762009000900013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2009] [Accepted: 05/29/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
|
35
|
Villalta F, Scharfstein J, Ashton AW, Tyler KM, Guan F, Mukherjee S, Lima MF, Alvarez S, Weiss LM, Huang H, Machado FS, Tanowitz HB. Perspectives on the Trypanosoma cruzi-host cell receptor interactions. Parasitol Res 2009; 104:1251-60. [PMID: 19283409 PMCID: PMC2696482 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-009-1383-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2008] [Accepted: 02/25/2009] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The critical initial event is the interaction of the trypomastigote form of the parasite with host receptors. This review highlights recent observations concerning these interactions. Some of the key receptors considered are those for thromboxane, bradykinin, and for the nerve growth factor TrKA. Other important receptors such as galectin-3, thrombospondin, and laminin are also discussed. Investigation into the molecular biology and cell biology of host receptors for T. cruzi may provide novel therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Villalta
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immune Response, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA e-mail:
| | - Julio Scharfstein
- Department Immunobiology, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil e-mail:
| | - Anthony W. Ashton
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Division of Perinatal Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kevin M. Tyler
- BioMedical Research Center, School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Fangxia Guan
- Bioengineering Department of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People’ Republic of China
| | - Shankar Mukherjee
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Maria F. Lima
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immune Response, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sandra Alvarez
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Louis M. Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Huan Huang
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Fabiana S. Machado
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Herbert B. Tanowitz
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA e-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Trypanosoma cruzi promotes neuronal and glial cell survival through the neurotrophic receptor TrkC. Infect Immun 2009; 77:1368-75. [PMID: 19179422 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01450-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease, promotes neuron survival through receptor tyrosine kinase TrkA and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored glial cell-derived family ligand receptors (GFRalpha). However, these receptors are expressed by only a subset of neurons and at low levels or not at all in glial cells. Thus, T. cruzi might exploit an additional neurotrophic receptor(s) to maximize host-parasite equilibrium in the nervous system. We show here that T. cruzi binds TrkC, a neurotrophic receptor expressed by glial cells and many types of neurons, and that the binding is specifically inhibited by neurotrophin-3, the natural TrkC ligand. Coimmunoprecipitation and competition assays show that the trans-sialidase/parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF), previously identified as a TrkA ligand, mediates the T. cruzi-TrkC interaction. PDNF promotes TrkC-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, neurite outgrowth, and survival of genetically engineered PC12 neuronal cells and glial Schwann cells in a TrkC-dependent manner. Thus, TrkC is a new neurotrophic receptor that T. cruzi engages to promote the survival of neuronal and glial cells. The results raise the possibility that T. cruzi recognition of TrkC underlies regenerative events in nervous tissues of patients with Chagas' disease.
Collapse
|
37
|
Preferential brain homing following intranasal administration of Trypanosoma cruzi. Infect Immun 2009; 77:1349-56. [PMID: 19168740 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01434-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chagas' disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi commonly infects humans through skin abrasions or mucosa from reduviid bug excreta. Yet most studies on animal models start with subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injections, a distant approximation of the skin abrasion route. We show here that atraumatic placement of T. cruzi in the mouse nasal cavity produced low parasitemia, high survival rates, and preferential brain invasion compared to the case with subcutaneously injected parasites. Brain invasion was particularly prominent in the basal ganglia, peaked at a time when parasitemia was no longer detectable, and elicited a relatively large number of inflammatory foci. Yet, based on motor behavioral parameters and staining with Fluoro-Jade C, a dye that specifically recognizes apoptotic and necrotic neurons, brain invasion did not cause neurodegenerative events, in contrast to the neurodegeneration in the enteric nervous system. The results indicate that placement of T. cruzi on the mucosa in the mouse nasal cavity establishes a systemic infection with a robust yet harmless infection of the brain, seemingly analogous to disease progression in humans. The model may facilitate studies designed to understand mechanisms underlying T. cruzi infection of the central nervous system.
Collapse
|
38
|
Lu B, Alroy J, Luquetti AO, PereiraPerrin M. Human autoantibodies specific for neurotrophin receptors TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC protect against lethal Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2008; 173:1406-14. [PMID: 18832578 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2008.080514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Patients with Chagas' disease remain asymptomatic for many years, presumably by keeping the etiological agent Trypanosoma cruzi in check through protective immunity against. Recently, we found that T. cruzi uses TrkA, a receptor tyrosine kinase responsive to neurotrophin nerve growth factor in vertebrate nervous systems, to invade cells. We also found that TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC, but not T. cruzi, are targets of specific autoantibodies present in the sera of patients with chronic Chagas' disease. Here we show that TrkA-, TrkB-, and TrkC-specific autoantibodies isolated from the sera of four individuals with chronic indeterminate (asymptomatic) Chagas' disease potently blocked invasion of Trk-bearing neuronal PC12 cells, neuroglial astrocytes, enteroglial cells, and Schwann cells and Trk-expressing non-neural smooth muscle and dendritic cells. However, these autoantibodies did not inhibit T. cruzi invasion of mutant PC12 cells lacking TrkA or of normal cells lacking Trk receptors, suggesting that autoantibodies interfered with parasite/Trk cross talk to access the intracellular milieu. Passive immunization of susceptible and resistant mouse strains with very small doses of these autoantibodies reduced parasitemia and transferred resistance to an otherwise lethal trypanosome infection. Hence, this exquisitely sensitive and unique regulatory immunity against the host (instead of parasite) could benefit infected individuals by blocking cellular invasion of the obligatory intracellular pathogen, resulting in attenuation of tissue infection and clinical manifestations. Such action is contrary to the horror autotoxicus frequently associated with microbe-related autoimmune responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Lu
- Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
A novel immunoprecipitation strategy identifies a unique functional mimic of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family ligands in the pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi. Infect Immun 2008; 76:3530-8. [PMID: 18541656 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00411-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The journey of the Chagas' disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi in the human body usually starts in the skin after an insect bite, when trypomastigotes get through the extracellular matrix to bind specific surface receptors in the epidermis and dermis to enter cells, where they differentiate and replicate. As the infection spreads to the heart, nervous system, and other parts of the body via the circulatory system, the parasite must also cope with additional receptors in the immune system and vascular endothelium. The molecular underpinnings that govern host cell receptor recognition by T. cruzi counterreceptors remain largely unknown. Here, we describe an immunoprecipitation strategy designed to concurrently identify host receptors and complementing parasite counterreceptors. Extracellular domains of growth factor receptors fused to human immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc were incubated with parasite lysates, immunoprecipitated on protein G-Sepharose, and eluted with Laemmli sample buffer. Possible T. cruzi counterreceptors pulled down by the receptor-Fc bait were visualized on immunoblots probed with multispecific high-affinity IgG from chronic chagasic sera and on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels stained with silver or Coomassie blue. In screening receptors important for nervous system repair, this parasite counterreceptor immunoprecipitation (PcIP) assay identified 7 to 11 polypeptides (molecular masses, 14 kDa to 55 kDa) that bound to the coreceptors of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family ligands (GFLs) GFRalpha-1, -2, and -3. Binding was specific because the T. cruzi mimic of host GFLs, named TGFL, did not react with GFL coreceptor tyrosine kinase RET and with other neurotrophic receptors. The polypeptides were located on the parasite outer membrane and bound noncovalently to each other. TGFL eluted from the GFL receptor/protein G affinity column with 0.5 M NaCl, pH 7.5, and potently promoted neurite outgrowth and cell survival in a GFL-sensitive mouse pheochromocytoma cell line. Given that GFLs are neuron survival factors crucial for development and maintenance of central and peripheral nervous systems, it may be that T. cruzi mimicry of host GFLs helps in mutually beneficial host repair of infected and damaged nervous tissue. As there are >30 growth factor receptor-Fc chimeras commercially available, this PcIP assay can be readily adapted to identify receptors/counterreceptors in other T. cruzi invasion sites and in other infections such as Lyme disease, amebiasis, and schistosomiasis.
Collapse
|
40
|
Lu B, Petrola Z, Luquetti AO, PereiraPerrin M. Auto-antibodies to receptor tyrosine kinases TrkA, TrkB and TrkC in patients with chronic Chagas' disease. Scand J Immunol 2008; 67:603-9. [PMID: 18410251 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2008.02102.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Chagas' disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi promotes survival and differentiation of neurones by binding and activating nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor TrkA. The functional mimic of NGF in T. cruzi is a surface-bound and shed immunogenic protein [neurotrophic factor/trans-sialidase (TS)], which raised the possibility that immune response to T. cruzi in general and to neurotrophic factor/TS in particular leads to loss of immunological tolerance to host NGF and/or the NGF-binding partner TrkA. In testing this hypothesis, we found that sera of individuals with chronic Chagas' disease bear unique IgG2 autoantibodies that bind TrkA and TrkA family members TrkB and TrkC (ATA). Binding of ATA to Trk receptors is specific because the autoantibodies did not cross-react with five other growth factor receptors, NGF and other neurotrophins, and T. cruzi. Thus, individuals with chronic Chagas' disease produce unique antibodies that react with pan-Trk receptors, one of which (TrkA) T. cruzi exploits to inhibit host cell apoptosis and to promote cellular invasion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Lu
- Department of Pathology, Parasitology Research Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Akpan N, Caradonna K, Chuenkova MV, PereiraPerrin M. Chagas' disease parasite-derived neurotrophic factor activates cholinergic gene expression in neuronal PC12 cells. Brain Res 2008; 1217:195-202. [PMID: 18502403 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.03.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2008] [Revised: 03/20/2008] [Accepted: 03/27/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF) produced by the Chagas' disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi binds nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor TrkA, increasing receptor autophosphorylation, and activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK/Erk) pathways, and transcription factor CREB. The end-result is enhanced survival and neuritogenesis of various types of neurons. PDNF also enhances the expression and activity of tyrosine hydroxylase, a rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine and other catecholamine neurotransmitters. It remains unknown, however, if PDNF alters expression and metabolism of acetylcholine (ACh), a neurotransmitter thought to play a role in Chagas' disease progression. Here we demonstrate that PDNF stimulates mRNA and protein expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), which are critical for synthesis and storage of ACh. Stimulation requires functional TrkA because it did not occur in cell mutants that lack the receptor and in TrkA-expressing wild-type cells treated with K252a, an inhibitor of TrkA kinase activity. It also requires TrkA-dependent PI3K and MAPK/Erk signaling pathways because PDNF stimulation of cholinergic transcripts is abolished by specific pharmacological inhibitors. Furthermore, the cholinergic actions of PDNF were reproduced by PDNF-expressing extracellular T. cruzi trypomastigotes at the start of host cell invasion. In contrast, host cells bearing intracellular T. cruzi showed decreased, rather than increased, cholinergic gene expression. These results suggest that T. cruzi invasion of the nervous system alters cholinergic gene expression and that could play a role in neuropathology, and/or lack thereof, in Chagas' disease patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nsikan Akpan
- Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|