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Almeida FS, Vanderley SER, Comberlang FC, Andrade AGD, Cavalcante-Silva LHA, Silva EDS, Palmeira PHDS, Amaral IPGD, Keesen TSL. Leishmaniasis: Immune Cells Crosstalk in Macrophage Polarization. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8050276. [PMID: 37235324 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8050276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a complex infectious parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, belonging to a group of neglected tropical diseases. It establishes significant global health challenges, particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged regions. Macrophages, as innate immune cells, play a crucial role in initiating the inflammatory response against the pathogens responsible for this disease. Macrophage polarization, the process of differentiating macrophages into pro-inflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes, is essential for the immune response in leishmaniasis. The M1 phenotype is associated with resistance to Leishmania infection, while the M2 phenotype is predominant in susceptible environments. Notably, various immune cells, including T cells, play a significant role in modulating macrophage polarization by releasing cytokines that influence macrophage maturation and function. Furthermore, other immune cells can also impact macrophage polarization in a T-cell-independent manner. Therefore, this review comprehensively examines macrophage polarization's role in leishmaniasis and other immune cells' potential involvement in this intricate process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Silva Almeida
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Shayenne Eduarda Ramos Vanderley
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Fernando Cézar Comberlang
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Arthur Gomes de Andrade
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Luiz Henrique Agra Cavalcante-Silva
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Edson Dos Santos Silva
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique de Sousa Palmeira
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Ian P G do Amaral
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Tatjana S L Keesen
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
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Diupotex M, Zamora-Chimal J, Cervantes-Sarabia RB, Salaiza-Suazo N, Becker I. Alpha-galactosylceramide as adjuvant induces protective cell-mediated immunity against Leishmania mexicana infection in vaccinated BALB/c mice. Cell Immunol 2023; 386:104692. [PMID: 36870122 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2023.104692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Adjuvants represent a promising strategy to improve vaccine effectiveness against infectious diseases such as leishmaniasis. Vaccination with the invariant natural killer T cell ligand α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer) has been used successfully as adjuvant, generating a Th1-biased immunomodulation. This glycolipid enhances experimental vaccination platforms against intracellular parasites including Plasmodium yoelii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the present study, we assessed the protective immunity induced by a single-dose intraperitoneal injection of αGalCer (2 μg) co-administrated with a lysate antigen of amastigotes (100 μg) against Leishmania mexicana infection in BALB/c mice. The prophylactic vaccination led to 5.0-fold reduction of parasite load at the infection site, compared to non-vaccinated mice. A predominant pro-inflammatory response was observed in challenged vaccinated mice, represented by a 1.9 and 2.8-fold-increase of IL-1β and IFN-γ producing cells, respectively, in the lesions, and by 23.7-fold-increase of IFN-γ production in supernatants of restimulated splenocytes, all compared to control groups. The co-administration of αGalCer also stimulated the maturation of splenic dendritic cells and modulated a Th1-skewed immune response, with high amounts of IFN-γ production in serum. Furthermore, peritoneal cells of αGalCer-immunized mice exhibited an elevated expression of Ly6G and MHCII. These findings indicate that αGalCer improves protection against cutaneous leishmaniasis, supporting evidence for its potential use as adjuvant in Leishmania-vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Diupotex
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Jaime Zamora-Chimal
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Rocely Buenaventura Cervantes-Sarabia
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Norma Salaiza-Suazo
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ingeborg Becker
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, México.
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Cavalcante MKDA, de Freitas e Silva R, Pereira VRA, Brelaz-de-Castro MCA. Opinion Article: NK Cells in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Protection or Damage? Front Immunol 2022; 13:933490. [PMID: 35844579 PMCID: PMC9283678 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.933490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marton Kaique de Andrade Cavalcante
- Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Brazil
- Parasitology Laboratory, Federal University of Pernambuco, Vitoria de Santo Antão, Brazil
| | - Rafael de Freitas e Silva
- Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Brazil
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Pernambuco, Garanhuns, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Carolina Accioly Brelaz-de-Castro
- Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Brazil
- Parasitology Laboratory, Federal University of Pernambuco, Vitoria de Santo Antão, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Maria Carolina Accioly Brelaz-de-Castro,
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Kumari D, Singh K. Exploring the paradox of defense between host and Leishmania parasite. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 102:108400. [PMID: 34890999 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease, still remains a global concern for the healthcare sector. The primary causative agents of the disease comprise diverse leishmanial species, leading to recurring failures in disease diagnosis and delaying the initiation of appropriate chemotherapy. Various species of the Leishmania parasite cause diverse clinical manifestations ranging from skin ulcers to systemic infections. Therefore, host immunity in response to different forms of infecting species of Leishmania becomes pivotal in disease progression or regression. Thus, understanding the paradox of immune arsenals during host and parasite interface becomes crucial to eliminate this deadly disease. In the present review, we have elaborated on the immunological perspectives of the disease and discussed primary host immune cells that form a defense line to counteract parasite infection. Furthermore, we also have shed light on the immune cells and effector molecules responsible for parasite survival in host lethal milieu/ environment. Next, we have highlighted recent molecules/compounds showing potent leishmanicidal activities pertaining to their pro-oxidant and immuno-modulatory mechanisms. This review addresses an immuno-biological overview of the factors influencing the parasitic disease, as this knowledge can aid in the unraveling/ identification of potential biomarkers, novel therapeutics, and vaccine candidates against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diksha Kumari
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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5
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Understanding the immune responses involved in mediating protection or immunopathology during leishmaniasis. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:297-311. [PMID: 33449103 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) transmitted by the sand fly and is a major public health problem worldwide. Infections caused by Leishmania clinically manifest as a wide range of diseases, such as cutaneous (CL), diffuse cutaneous (DCL), mucosal (MCL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The host innate and adaptative immune responses play critical roles in the defense against leishmaniasis. However, Leishmania parasites also manipulate the host immune response for their survival and replication. In addition, other factors such as sand fly salivary proteins and microbiota also promote disease susceptibility and parasite spread by modulating local immune response. Thus, a complex interplay between parasite, sand fly and the host immunity governs disease severity and outcome. In this review, we discuss the host immune response during Leishmania infection and highlight the factors associated with resistance or susceptibility.
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Leishmania mexicana: Novel Insights of Immune Modulation through Amastigote Exosomes. J Immunol Res 2020; 2020:8894549. [PMID: 33344659 PMCID: PMC7728480 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8894549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Exosomes are extracellular microvesicles of endosomal origin (multivesicular bodies, MVBs) constitutively released by eukaryotic cells by fusion of MVBs to the plasma membrane. The exosomes from Leishmania parasites contain an array of parasite molecules such as virulence factors and survival messengers, capable of modulating the host immune response and thereby favoring the infection of the host. We here show that exosomes of L. mexicana amastigotes (aExo) contain the virulence proteins gp63 and PP2C. The incubation of aExo with bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) infected with L. mexicana led to their internalization and were found to colocalize with the cellular tetraspanin CD63. Furthermore, aExo inhibited nitric oxide production of infected BMMs, permitting enhanced intracellular parasite survival. Expressions of antigen-presenting (major histocompatibility complex class I, MHC-I, and CD1d) and costimulatory (CD86 and PD-L1) molecules were modulated in a dose-dependent fashion. Whereas MHC-I, CD86 and PD-L1 expressions were diminished by exosomes, CD1d was enhanced. We conclude that aExo of L. mexicana are capable of decreasing microbicidal mechanisms of infected macrophages by inhibiting nitric oxide production, thereby enabling parasite survival. They also hamper the cellular immune response by diminishing MHC-I and CD86 on an important antigen-presenting cell, which potentially interferes with CD8 T cell activation. The enhanced CD1d expression in combination with reduction of PD-L1 on BMMs point to a potential shift of the activation route towards lipid presentations, yet the effectivity of this immune activation is not evident, since in the absence of costimulatory molecules, cellular anergy and tolerance would be expected.
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Saha B, Bhattacharjee S, Sarkar A, Bhor R, Pai K, Bodhale N. Conundrums in leishmaniasis. Cytokine 2020; 145:155304. [PMID: 33004260 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Leishmania cause the disease leishmaniasis. As the sandfly vector transfers the promastigotes into the skin of the human host, the infection is either cured or exacerbated. In the process, there emerge several unsolved paradoxes of leishmaniasis. Chronologically, as the infections starts in skin, the role of the salivary proteins in supporting the infection or the host response to these proteins influencing the induction of immunological memory becomes a conundrum. As the parasite invokes inflammation, the infiltrating neutrophils may act as "Trojan Horse" to transfer parasites to macrophages that, along with dendritic cells, carry the parasite to lymphoid organs to start visceralization. As the visceralized infection becomes chronic, the acutely enhanced monocytopoiesis takes a downturn while neutropenia and thrombocytopenia ensue with concomitant rise in splenic colony-forming-units. These responses are accompanied by splenic and hepatic granulomas, polyclonal activation of B cells and deviation of T cell responses. The granuloma formation is both a containment process and a form of immunopathogenesis. The heterogeneity in neutrophils and macrophages contribute to both cure and progression of the disease. The differentiation of T-helper subsets presents another paradox of visceral leishmaniasis, as the counteractive T cell subsets influence the curing or non-curing outcome. Once the parasites are killed by chemotherapy, in some patients the cured visceral disease recurs as a cutaneous manifestation post-kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). As no experimental model exists, the natural history of PKDL remains almost a black box at the end of the visceral disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baibaswata Saha
- Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007, India
| | - Surajit Bhattacharjee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Tripura Central University, Agartala, India
| | - Arup Sarkar
- Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha 751024, India
| | - Renuka Bhor
- Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007, India
| | - Kalpana Pai
- Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007, India
| | - Neelam Bodhale
- Jagadis Bose National Science Talent Search, 1300 Rajdanga Road, Kolkata 700107, India; National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India.
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8
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Adar T, Shankar Lankalapalli R, Bittman R, Ilan Y. The assembly of glycosphingolipid determines their immunomodulatory effect: A novel method for structure-based design of immunotherapy. Cell Immunol 2020; 355:104157. [PMID: 32659503 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2020.104157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Structure-activity relationships provide insight into the binding interactions of beta-glycosphingolipids (GSLs) with both the TCR and the CD1d molecules, as well as the subsequent immunologic response of regulatory NKT cells. AIM To determine the effects of synthetic GSL structures on their immune modulatory functions. METHODS GSLs of various structures were tested in vitro and in an animal model of Concanavalin A (ConA) immune-mediated hepatitis. RESULTS In vitro, using SV40 binding to live monkey CV1 cells, the l-threo stereoisomer of C8-β-LacCer inhibits caveolar internalization, reducing viral binding to the cell surface. In vivo, in the ConA model, LR172, which has a saturated C8 chain, and LR178, which has a trans double bond at C-2 in the C8 chain, suppressed the immune-mediated liver inflammation and reduced IFNγ levels in a dose dependent manner. The beneficial effects of LR172 and of LR178 are associated with suppression of liver apoptosis, increased phosphorylated STAT3 expression in the liver, and an increase in the NKT liver/spleen ratio. SUMMARY The assembly of GSLs determines their immunomodulatory effect and can serve as a method for structure-based design of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomer Adar
- Department of Medicine, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ravi Shankar Lankalapalli
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Queens College of the City University of New York, United States; Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, Kerala, India
| | - Robert Bittman
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Queens College of the City University of New York, United States
| | - Yaron Ilan
- Department of Medicine, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Contribution of Leishmania braziliensis antigen-specific CD4+ T, CD8+ T, NK and CD3+CD56+NKT cells in the immunopathogenesis of cutaneous leishmaniasis patients: Cytotoxic, activation and exhaustion profiles. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229400. [PMID: 32203546 PMCID: PMC7089553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is dictated mainly by the immune-mediated-tissue inflammation developed. The understanding of the immunological mechanisms that generate tissue damage or resolution of lesions is the key to the development of effective vaccine protocols and proper therapeutic schemes. It is clear that the specific immune response mediated by T cells is responsible for the beneficial outcome of the disease, however, the roles of CD4+ T, CD8+ T, NK and NKT cell subpopulations in immunopathogenesis of CL need to be elucidated. Peripheral blood cells from patients before, during and after the antimonial therapy, as well as healthy individuals (HI) were cultured with (LbAgS) or without (NS) L. braziliensis antigens (LbAg). Afterwards, the frequencies of LbAg-specific-cytotoxic CD8+ T, CD4+ T, NK and CD3+CD56+ NKT cells, as well as their activation and exhaustion profiles, were defined by flow cytometry. We observed higher frequencies of CD8+ T, NK and CD3+CD56+ NKT cells and lower frequencies of CD4+ T lymphocytes in LbAgS cell cultures from patients before treatment. The specific response to LbAg resulted in an expansion of cytotoxic-activated CD4+ T, CD8+ T, and NK cells, before and during treatment, indicating specificity in the response by these cells against L. braziliensis. Furthermore, comparing the differences of frequencies of cytotoxic-activated CD4+T, CD8+T, and NK cells, among before and during treatment patients and HI groups, we conclude that these cell populations are in charge of immune response elicited by antimonial therapy. Interestingly, we also observed that NK cells were induced by LbAg to an exhaustion profile during all clinical stages of the disease. The increased antigen-specific activation and cytotoxic activity are in line with the strong inflammatory response described in this disease, a likely cause of tissue damage. These findings reinforce the involvement of these distinct cytotoxic-activated cell populations in the immunopathogenesis of CL, showing a character of specificity in this immune response.
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Ilan Y. β-Glycosphingolipids as Mediators of Both Inflammation and Immune Tolerance: A Manifestation of Randomness in Biological Systems. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1143. [PMID: 31178868 PMCID: PMC6538797 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasticity in biological systems is attributed to the combination of multiple parameters which determine function. These include genotypic, phenotypic, and environmental factors. While biological processes can be viewed as ordered and sequential, biological randomness was suggested to underline part of them. The present review looks into the concept of randomness in biological systems by exploring the glycosphingolipids-NKT cells example. NKT cells are a unique subset of regulatory lymphocytes which play a role in both inflammation and tolerance. Glycosphingolipids promote an immune balance by changing different arms of the immune system in opposing environments. Traditional immunology looks at skewing the immune system into different directions by different types of activation of the same cell stimulation of different cells subsets, use of different ligands, or different the effect of different immune environments. While these may explain some of the effects, the lack of consistency and opposing results under similar settings may involve randomness which may also be part of real life effects of immunomodulatory agents. It means that several of the biological processes, cannot be explained by simple linear models, and may involve more complex concepts. The application for these concepts for improving therapies to patients with Gaucher disease are discussed. SUMMARY The use of different ligands that target a variety of cell subsets in different immune environments may underlie differences in the functionality of NKT cells and their variability in response to NKT-based therapies. The novel concept of randomness in biology means that several biological processes cannot be solely explained by simple linear models and may instead involve much more complicated schemes of random disorder. These may have implications on future design of therapeutic regimens for improving the response to current treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaron Ilan
- Gastroenterology and Liver Units, Department of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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Belo R, Santarém N, Pereira C, Pérez-Cabezas B, Macedo F, Leite-de-Moraes M, Cordeiro-da-Silva A. Leishmania infantum Exoproducts Inhibit Human Invariant NKT Cell Expansion and Activation. Front Immunol 2017; 8:710. [PMID: 28674535 PMCID: PMC5474685 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania infantum is one of the major parasite species associated with visceral leishmaniasis, a severe form of the disease that can become lethal if untreated. This obligate intracellular parasite has developed diverse strategies to escape the host immune response, such as exoproducts (Exo) carrying a wide range of molecules, including parasite virulence factors, which are potentially implicated in early stages of infection. Herein, we report that L. infantum Exo and its two fractions composed of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and vesicle-depleted-exoproducts (VDEs) inhibit human peripheral blood invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell expansion in response to their specific ligand, the glycolipid α-GalactosylCeramide (α-GalCer), as well as their capacity to promptly produce IL-4 and IFNγ. Using plate-bound CD1d and α-GalCer, we found that Exo, EV, and VDE fractions reduced iNKT cell activation in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that they prevented α-GalCer presentation by CD1d molecules. This direct effect on CD1d was confirmed by the observation that CD1d:α-GalCer complex formation was impaired in the presence of Exo, EV, and VDE fractions. Furthermore, lipid extracts from the three compounds mimicked the inhibition of iNKT cell activation. These lipid components of L. infantum exoproducts, including EV and VDE fractions, might compete for CD1-binding sites, thus blocking iNKT cell activation. Overall, our results provide evidence for a novel strategy through which L. infantum can evade immune responses of mammalian host cells by preventing iNKT lymphocytes from recognizing glycolipids in a TCR-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Belo
- Parasite Disease Group, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health (i3S), Porto, Portugal.,Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Immunopathology, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, CNRS UMR 8253 and INSERM UMR 1151, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Nuno Santarém
- Parasite Disease Group, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health (i3S), Porto, Portugal
| | - Cátia Pereira
- Cell Activation and Gene Expression, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health (i3S), Porto, Portugal
| | - Begoña Pérez-Cabezas
- Parasite Disease Group, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health (i3S), Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Macedo
- Cell Activation and Gene Expression, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health (i3S), Porto, Portugal.,Department of Medical Science, Aveiro University, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Maria Leite-de-Moraes
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Immunopathology, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, CNRS UMR 8253 and INSERM UMR 1151, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Parasite Disease Group, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health (i3S), Porto, Portugal.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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