1
|
Sweeney MI, Tobin DM. Channeling kynurenine. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01643-z. [PMID: 38898167 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01643-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Mollie I Sweeney
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Integrative Immunobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David M Tobin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Integrative Immunobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Parada-Kusz M, Clatworthy AE, Goering ER, Blackwood SM, Shigeta JY, Mashin E, Salm EJ, Choi C, Combs S, Lee JSW, Rodriguez-Osorio C, Clish C, Tomita S, Hung DT. 3-Hydroxykynurenine targets kainate receptors to promote defense against infection. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01635-z. [PMID: 38898166 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01635-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial infection involves a complex interaction between the pathogen and host where the outcome of infection is not solely determined by pathogen eradication. To identify small molecules that promote host survival by altering the host-pathogen dynamic, we conducted an in vivo chemical screen using zebrafish embryos and found that treatment with 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) protects from lethal bacterial infection. 3-HK, a metabolite produced through host tryptophan metabolism, has no direct antibacterial activity but enhances host survival by restricting bacterial expansion in macrophages through a systemic mechanism that targets kainate-sensitive glutamate receptors. These findings reveal a new pathway by which tryptophan metabolism and kainate-sensitive glutamate receptors function and interact to modulate immunity, with important implications for the coordination between the immune and nervous systems in pathological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Parada-Kusz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anne E Clatworthy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Emily R Goering
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stephanie M Blackwood
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jack Y Shigeta
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth J Salm
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Catherine Choi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Senya Combs
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jenny S W Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Carlos Rodriguez-Osorio
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Clary Clish
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Susumu Tomita
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Deborah T Hung
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Manful EE, Dofuor AK, Gwira TM. The role of tryptophan derivatives as anti-kinetoplastid agents. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23895. [PMID: 38187297 PMCID: PMC10770616 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Kinetoplastids are the causative agents for a spectrum of vector-borne diseases including Leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and Trypanosomiasis that affect millions of people worldwide. In the absence of safe and effective vaccines, chemotherapy, in conjunction with vector control, remain the most significant control approach for kinetoplastid diseases. However, commercially available treatment for these neglected tropical diseases frequently ends up with toxic side effects and increasing resistance. To meet the rising need for innovative medications, alternative chemotherapeutic agents are required. Moreover, insights into target-based mode of action of chemotherapeutic agents are required if novel drugs that may outwit resistance to commercially available drugs are to be developed. Tryptophan has been implicated in a variety of diseases and disorders due to its fundamental role as a precursor to several bioactive metabolites, as well as its importance in the improvement of health and nutrition, diagnostics, and therapeutics. The regulation of tryptophan metabolism plays a fundamental role in the growth of kinetoplastids. Moreover, the levels of tryptophan may serve as a biomarker to distinguish between the stages of kinetoplastids making it an important amino acid to explore for drug targets. The main aim of this review is thus to provide a comprehensive literature synthesis of tryptophan derivatives to explore as potential anti-kinetoplastids. Here we highlight the role of tryptophan derivatives as chemotherapeutic agents against kinetoplastids. The reviewed compounds provide insights into potential new drug interventions that may combat the increasing problem of anti-kinetoplastid resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ewura-Esi Manful
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Aboagye Kwarteng Dofuor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Theresa Manful Gwira
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ambrosio LF, Volpini X, Quiroz JN, Brugo MB, Knubel CP, Herrera MR, Fozzatti L, Avila Pacheco J, Clish CB, Takenaka MC, Beloscar J, Theumer MG, Quintana FJ, Perez AR, Motrán CC. Association between altered tryptophan metabolism, plasma aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists, and inflammatory Chagas disease. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1267641. [PMID: 38283348 PMCID: PMC10811785 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1267641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chagas disease causes a cardiac illness characterized by immunoinflammatory reactions leading to myocardial fibrosis and remodeling. The development of Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) in some patients while others remain asymptomatic is not fully understood, but dysregulated inflammatory responses are implicated. The Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays a crucial role in regulating inflammation. Certain tryptophan (Trp) metabolites have been identified as AhR ligands with regulatory functions. Methods results and discussion We investigated AhR expression, agonist response, ligand production, and AhR-dependent responses, such as IDO activation and regulatory T (Treg) cells induction, in two T. cruzi-infected mouse strains (B6 and Balb/c) showing different polymorphisms in AhR. Furthermore, we assessed the metabolic profile of Trp catabolites and AhR agonistic activity levels in plasma samples from patients with chronic Chagas disease (CCD) and healthy donors (HD) using a luciferase reporter assay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS) analysis. T. cruzi-infected B6 mice showed impaired AhR-dependent responses compared to Balb/c mice, including reduced IDO activity, kynurenine levels, Treg cell induction, CYP1A1 up-regulation, and AhR expression following agonist activation. Additionally, B6 mice exhibited no detectable AhR agonist activity in plasma and displayed lower CYP1A1 up-regulation and AhR expression upon agonist activation. Similarly, CCC patients had decreased AhR agonistic activity in plasma compared to HD patients and exhibited dysregulation in Trp metabolic pathways, resulting in altered plasma metabolite profiles. Notably, patients with severe CCC specifically showed increased N-acetylserotonin levels in their plasma. The methods and findings presented here contribute to a better understanding of CCC development mechanisms and may identify potential specific biomarkers for T. cruzi infection and the severity of associated heart disease. These insights could be valuable in designing new therapeutic strategies. Ultimately, this research aims to establish the AhR agonistic activity and Trp metabolic profile in plasma as an innovative, non-invasive predictor of prognosis for chronic Chagas disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernanda Ambrosio
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ximena Volpini
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Juan Nahuel Quiroz
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Belén Brugo
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Carolina Paola Knubel
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Melisa Rocío Herrera
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Laura Fozzatti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Julián Avila Pacheco
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Clary B. Clish
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Maisa C. Takenaka
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Juan Beloscar
- Servicio de Cardiología, Departamento de Chagas, Hospital Provincial del Centenario y Cátedra de Cardiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Martín Gustavo Theumer
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Francisco Javier Quintana
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ana Rosa Perez
- Instituto de Inmunología Clínica y Experimental de Rosario-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Rosario (IDICER-CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Argentina
- Centro de Investigación y Producción de Reactivos Biológicos (CIPReB), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Claudia Cristina Motrán
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Parada-Kusz M, Clatworthy AE, Goering ER, Blackwood SM, Salm EJ, Choi C, Combs S, Lee JSW, Rodriguez-Osorio C, Tomita S, Hung DT. A tryptophan metabolite modulates the host response to bacterial infection via kainate receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.16.553532. [PMID: 37645903 PMCID: PMC10462041 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial infection involves a complex interaction between the pathogen and host where the outcome of infection is not solely determined by pathogen eradication. To identify small molecules that promote host survival by altering the host-pathogen dynamic, we conducted an in vivo chemical screen using zebrafish embryos and found that treatment with 3-hydroxy-kynurenine protects from lethal gram-negative bacterial infection. 3-hydroxy-kynurenine, a metabolite produced through host tryptophan metabolism, has no direct antibacterial activity but enhances host survival by restricting bacterial expansion in macrophages by targeting kainate-sensitive glutamate receptors. These findings reveal new mechanisms by which tryptophan metabolism and kainate-sensitive glutamate receptors function and interact to modulate immunity, with significant implications for the coordination between the immune and nervous systems in pathological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Parada-Kusz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anne E. Clatworthy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily R. Goering
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephanie M. Blackwood
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Salm
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine; New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Catherine Choi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Senya Combs
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jenny S. W. Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carlos Rodriguez-Osorio
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Susumu Tomita
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine; New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Deborah T. Hung
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Skariah S, Sultan AA, Mordue DG. IFN-induced cell-autonomous immune mechanisms in the control of intracellular protozoa. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1559-1571. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07514-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
7
|
Fresno M, Gironès N. Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Trypanosoma cruzi Infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:737364. [PMID: 34513737 PMCID: PMC8430253 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.737364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immature heterogeneous myeloid cells that expand in pathologic conditions as cancer, trauma, and infection. Although characterization of MDSCs is continuously revisited, the best feature is their suppressor activity. There are many markers for MDSC identification, it is distinctive that they express inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and arginase 1, which can mediate immune suppression. MDSCs can have a medullary origin as a result of emergency myelopoiesis, but also can have an extramedullary origin. Early studies on Trypanosoma cruzi infection showed severe immunosuppression, and several mechanisms involving parasite antigens and host cell mediators were described as inhibition of IL-2 and IL-2R. Another mechanism of immunosuppression involving tumor necrosis factor/interferon γ-dependent nitric oxide production by inducible nitric oxide synthase was also described. Moreover, other studies showed that nitric oxide was produced by CD11b+ Gr-1+ MDSCs in the spleen, and later iNOS and arginase 1 expressed in CD11b+Ly6C+Ly6Glo monocytic MDSC were found in spleen and heart of T. cruzi infected mice that suppressed T cell proliferation. Uncontrolled expansion of monocytic MDSCs leads to L-arginine depletion which hinders nitric oxide production leading to death. Supplement of L-arginine partially reverts L-arginine depletion and survival, suggesting that L-arginine could be administered along with anti-parasitical drugs. On the other hand, pharmacological inhibition of MDSCs leads to death in mice, suggesting that some expansion of MDSCs is needed for an efficient immune response. The role of signaling molecules mediating immune suppression as reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, as well as prostaglandin E2, characteristics of MDSCs, in T. cruzi infection is not fully understood. We review and discuss the role of these reactive species mediators produced by MDSCs. Finally, we discuss the latest results that link the SLAMF1 immune receptor with reactive oxygen species. Interaction of the parasite with the SLAMF1 modulates parasite virulence through myeloid cell infectivity and reactive oxygen species production. We discuss the possible strategies for targeting MDSCs and SLAMF1 receptor in acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice, to evaluate a possible translational application in human acute infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Fresno
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Group 12, Madrid, Spain
| | - Núria Gironès
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Group 12, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Cerbán FM, Stempin CC, Volpini X, Carrera Silva EA, Gea S, Motran CC. Signaling pathways that regulate Trypanosoma cruzi infection and immune response. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2020; 1866:165707. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
9
|
Ambrosio LF, Insfran C, Volpini X, Acosta Rodriguez E, Serra HM, Quintana FJ, Cervi L, Motrán CC. Role of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) in the Regulation of Immunity and Immunopathology During Trypanosoma cruzi Infection. Front Immunol 2019; 10:631. [PMID: 30984194 PMCID: PMC6450169 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi infection is dependent on a rapid induction of Th1-type and CD8+ T cell responses that should be promptly balanced to prevent immunopathology. T. cruzi-infected B6 mice are able to control parasite replication but show a limited expansion of Foxp3+regulatory T (Treg) cells that results in the accumulation of effector immune cells and the development of acute liver pathology. AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that promotes Treg cell development and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production in dendritic cells, altering the course of adaptive immune response and the development of immunopathology. Here, we used different AhR-dependent activation strategies aiming to improve the Treg response, and B6 congenic mice carrying a mutant AhR variant with low affinity for its ligands (AhRd) to evaluate the role of AhR activation by natural ligands during experimental T. cruzi infection. The outcome of TCDD or 3-HK plus ITE treatments indicated that strong or weak AhR activation before or during T. cruzi infection was effective to regulate inflammation improving the Treg cell response and regularizing the ratio between CD4+ CD25- to Treg cells. However, AhR activation shifted the host-parasite balance to the parasite replication. Weak AhR activation resulted in Treg promotion while strong activation differentially modulated the susceptibility and resistance of cell death in activated T and Treg cells and the increase in TGF-β-producing Treg cells. Of note, T. cruzi-infected AhRd mice showed low levels of Treg cells associated with strong Th1-type response, low parasite burden and absence of liver pathology. These mice developed a Treg- and Tr1-independent mechanism of Th1 constriction showing increased levels of systemic IL-10 and IL-10-secreting CD4+ splenocytes. In addition, AhR activation induced by exogenous ligands had negative effects on the development of memory CD8+ T cell subsets while the lack/very weak activation in AhRd mice showed opposite results, suggesting that AhR ligation restricts the differentiation of memory CD8+T cell subsets. We propose a model in which a threshold of AhR activation exists and may explain how activation or inhibition of AhR-derived signals by infection/inflammation-induced ligands, therapeutic interventions or exposure to pollutants can modulate infections/diseases outcomes or vaccination efficacy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernanda Ambrosio
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Constanza Insfran
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ximena Volpini
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Eva Acosta Rodriguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Horacio Marcelo Serra
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Francisco J Quintana
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Laura Cervi
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Claudia Cristina Motrán
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Volpini X, Ambrosio LF, Fozzatti L, Insfran C, Stempin CC, Cervi L, Motran CC. Trypanosoma cruzi Exploits Wnt Signaling Pathway to Promote Its Intracellular Replication in Macrophages. Front Immunol 2018; 9:859. [PMID: 29743880 PMCID: PMC5930390 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
During the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, macrophages can act as host cells for the parasites as well as effector cells in the early anti-parasitic immune response. Thus, the targeting of specific signaling pathways could modulate macrophages response to restrict parasite replication and instruct an appropriate adaptive response. Recently, it has become evident that Wnt signaling has immunomodulatory functions during inflammation and infection. Here, we tested the hypothesis that during T. cruzi infection, the activation of Wnt signaling pathway in macrophages plays a role in modulating the inflammatory/tolerogenic response and therefore regulating the control of parasite replication. In this report, we show that early after T. cruzi infection of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM), β-catenin was activated and Wnt3a, Wnt5a, and some Frizzled receptors as well as Wnt/β-catenin pathway’s target genes were upregulated, with Wnt proteins signaling sustaining the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway and then activating the Wnt/Ca+2 pathway. Wnt signaling pathway activation was critical to sustain the parasite’s replication in BMM; since the treatments with specific inhibitors of β-catenin transcriptional activation or Wnt proteins secretion limited the parasite replication. Mechanistically, inhibition of Wnt signaling pathway armed BMM to fight against T. cruzi by inducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity and by downregulating arginase activity. Likewise, in vivo pharmacological inhibition of the Wnts’ interaction with its receptors controlled the parasite replication and improved the survival of lethally infected mice. It is well established that T. cruzi infection activates a plethora of signaling pathways that ultimately regulate immune mediators to determine the modulation of a defined set of effector functions in macrophages. In this study, we have revealed a new signaling pathway that is activated by the interaction between protozoan parasites and host innate immunity, establishing a new conceptual framework for the development of new therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ximena Volpini
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Laura F Ambrosio
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Laura Fozzatti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Constanza Insfran
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Cinthia C Stempin
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Laura Cervi
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Claudia Cristina Motran
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|