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Retana Moreira L, Cornet-Gomez A, Sepulveda MR, Molina-Castro S, Alvarado-Ocampo J, Chaves Monge F, Jara Rojas M, Osuna A, Abrahams Sandí E. Providing an in vitro depiction of microglial cells challenged with immunostimulatory extracellular vesicles of Naegleria fowleri. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1346021. [PMID: 38374922 PMCID: PMC10876093 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1346021] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rapid and acute infection of the central nervous system with a fatal outcome in >97% of cases. Due to the infrequent report of cases and diagnostic gaps that hinder the possibility of recovering clinic isolates, studies related to pathogenesis of the disease are scarce. However, the secretion of cytolytic molecules has been proposed as a factor involved in the progression of the infection. Several of these molecules could be included in extracellular vesicles (EVs), making them potential virulence factors and even modulators of the immune response in this infection. In this work, we evaluated the immunomodulatory effect of EVs secreted by two clinic isolates of Naegleria fowleri using in vitro models. For this purpose, characterization analyses between EVs produced by both isolates were first performed, for subsequent gene transcription analyses post incubation of these vesicles with primary cultures from mouse cell microglia and BV-2 cells. Analyses of morphological changes induced in primary culture microglia cells by the vesicles were also included, as well as the determination of the presence of nucleic acids of N. fowleri in the EV fractions. Results revealed increased expression of NOS, proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-23, and the regulatory cytokine IL-10 in primary cultures of microglia, as well as increased expression of NOS and IL-13 in BV-2 cells. Morphologic changes from homeostatic microglia, with small cellular body and long processes to a more amoeboid morphology were also observed after the incubation of these cells with EVs. Regarding the presence of nucleic acids, specific Naegleria fowleri DNA that could be amplified using both conventional and qPCR was confirmed in the EV fractions. Altogether, these results confirm the immunomodulatory effects of EVs of Naegleria fowleri over microglial cells and suggest a potential role of these vesicles as biomarkers of primary acute meningoencephalitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lissette Retana Moreira
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Alberto Cornet-Gomez
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Campus de Fuentenueva, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M. Rosario Sepulveda
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Silvia Molina-Castro
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud (INISA), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Johan Alvarado-Ocampo
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Frida Chaves Monge
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Mariana Jara Rojas
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Antonio Osuna
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Campus de Fuentenueva, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Elizabeth Abrahams Sandí
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
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Cornet-Gomez A, Moreira LR, Gomez-Samblás M, Osuna A. Extracellular vesicles of Trypanosoma cruzi and immune complexes they form with sialylated and non-sialylated IgGs increase small peritoneal macrophage subpopulation and elicit different cytokines profiles. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1215913. [PMID: 37600828 PMCID: PMC10434529 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1215913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
American trypanosomiasis, or Chagas disease, is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is characterized by the presence of cardiac or gastrointestinal symptoms in a large number of patients during the chronic phase of the disease. Although the origin of the symptoms is not clear, several mechanisms have been described involving factors related to T. cruzi and the host immune response. In this sense, the extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by the parasite and the immune complexes (ICs) formed after their recognition by host IgGs (EVs-IgGs) may play an important role in the immune response during infection. The aim of the present work is to elucidate the modulation of the immune response exerted by EVs and the ICs they form by analyzing the variation in the subpopulations of small and large peritoneal macrophages after intraperitoneal inoculation in mice and to evaluate the role of the sialylation of the host IgGs in this immunomodulation. Both macrophage subpopulations were purified and subjected to cytokine expression analysis by RT-qPCR. The results showed an increase in the small peritoneal macrophage subpopulation after intraperitoneal injection of parasite EVs, but a greater increase in this subpopulation was observed when sialylated and non-sialylated ICs were injected, which was similar to inoculation with the trypomastigote stage of the parasite. The cytokine expression results showed the ability of both subpopulations to express inflammatory and non-inflammatory cytokines. These results suggest the role of free EVs in the acute phase of the disease and the possible role of immune complexes in the immune response in the chronic phase of the disease, when the levels of antibodies against the parasite allow the formation of immune complexes. The differential expression of interleukins showed after the inoculation of immune complexes formed with sialylated and non-sialylated IgGs and the interleukins expression induced by EVs, demonstrates that the IgG glycosilation is involved in the type of immune response that dominates in each of the phases of the Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Cornet-Gomez
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Lissette Retana Moreira
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Mercedes Gomez-Samblás
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Antonio Osuna
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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Chiba Y, Yoshizaki K, Sato H, Ikeuchi T, Rhodes C, Chiba M, Saito K, Nakamura T, Iwamoto T, Yamada A, Yamada Y, Fukumoto S. Deficiency of G protein-coupled receptor Gpr111/Adgrf2 causes enamel hypomineralization in mice by alteration of the expression of kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (Klk4) during pH cycling process. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22861. [PMID: 36929047 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202202053r] [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: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Enamel is formed by the repetitive secretion of a tooth-specific extracellular matrix and its decomposition. Calcification of the enamel matrix via hydroxyapatite (HAP) maturation requires pH cycling to be tightly regulated through the neutralization of protons released during HAP synthesis. We found that Gpr115, which responds to changes in extracellular pH, plays an important role in enamel formation. Gpr115-deficient mice show partial enamel hypomineralization, suggesting that other pH-responsive molecules may be involved. In this study, we focused on the role of Gpr111/Adgrf2, a duplicate gene of Gpr115, in tooth development. Gpr111 was highly expressed in mature ameloblasts. Gpr111-KO mice showed enamel hypomineralization. Dysplasia of enamel rods and high carbon content seen in Gpr111-deficient mice suggested the presence of residual enamel matrices in enamel. Depletion of Gpr111 in dental epithelial cells induced the expression of ameloblast-specific protease, kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (Klk4), suggesting that Gpr111 may act as a suppressor of Klk4 expression. Moreover, reduction of extracellular pH to 6.8 suppressed the expression of Gpr111, while the converse increased Klk4 expression. Such induction of Klk4 was synergistically enhanced by Gpr111 knockdown, suggesting that proper enamel mineralization may be linked to the modulation of Klk4 expression by Gpr111. Furthermore, our in vitro suppression of Gpr111 and Gpr115 expression indicated that their suppressive effect on calcification was additive. These results suggest that both Gpr111 and Gpr115 respond to extracellular pH, contribute to the expression of proteolytic enzymes, and regulate the pH cycle, thereby playing important roles in enamel formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Chiba
- Section of Pediatric Dentistry, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Kyushu University Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka, Japan
- Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Community Social Dentistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan
| | - Keigo Yoshizaki
- Section of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Division of Oral Health, Growth, and Development, Kyushu University Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sato
- Section of Pediatric Dentistry, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Kyushu University Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ikeuchi
- Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Craig Rhodes
- Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mitsuki Chiba
- Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Community Social Dentistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kan Saito
- Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Community Social Dentistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takashi Nakamura
- Division of Molecular Pharmacology and Cell Biophysics, Department of Disease Management Dentistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Iwamoto
- Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Department of Pediatric Dentistry/Special Needs Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aya Yamada
- Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Community Social Dentistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Yamada
- Section of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Division of Oral Health, Growth, and Development, Kyushu University Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fukumoto
- Section of Pediatric Dentistry, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Kyushu University Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka, Japan
- Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Community Social Dentistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan
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Notter DR, Heidaritabar M, Burke JM, Shirali M, Murdoch BM, Morgan JLM, Morota G, Sonstegard TS, Becker GM, Spangler GL, MacNeil MD, Miller JE. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Effects on Lamb Fecal Egg Count Estimated Breeding Values in Progeny-Tested Katahdin Sires. Front Genet 2022; 13:866176. [PMID: 35591856 PMCID: PMC9110833 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.866176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Estimated breeding values (EBV) for fecal egg counts (FEC) at 42–90 days of age (WFEC) and 91–150 days of age (PFEC) for 84 progeny-tested Katahdin sires were used to identify associations of deregressed EBV with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) using 388,000 SNP with minor-allele frequencies ≥0.10 on an Illumina high-density ovine array. Associations between markers and FEC EBV were initially quantified by single-SNP linear regression. Effects of linkage disequilibrium (LD) were minimized by assigning SNP to 2,535 consecutive 1-Mb bins and focusing on the effect of the most significant SNP in each bin. Bonferroni correction was used to define bin-based (BB) genome- and chromosome-wide significance. Six bins on chromosome 5 achieved BB genome-wide significance for PFEC EBV, and three of those SNP achieved chromosome-wide significance after Bonferroni correction based on the 14,530 total SNP on chromosome 5. These bins were nested within 12 consecutive bins between 59 and 71 Mb on chromosome 5 that reached BB chromosome-wide significance. The largest SNP effects were at 63, 67, and 70 Mb, with LD among these SNP of r2 ≤ 0.2. Regional heritability mapping (RHM) was then used to evaluate the ability of different genomic regions to account for additive variance in FEC EBV. Chromosome-level RHM indicated that one 500-SNP window between 65.9 and 69.9 Mb accounted for significant variation in PFEC EBV. Five additional 500-SNP windows between 59.3 and 71.6 Mb reached suggestive (p < 0.10) significance for PFEC EBV. Although previous studies rarely identified markers for parasite resistance on chromosome 5, the IL12B gene at 68.5 Mb codes for the p40 subunit of both interleukins 12 and 23. Other immunoregulatory genes are also located in this region of chromosome 5, providing opportunity for additive or associative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R. Notter
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- *Correspondence: David R. Notter,
| | - Marzieh Heidaritabar
- Livestock Gentec, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Joan M. Burke
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Booneville, AR, United States
| | - Masoud Shirali
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Brenda M. Murdoch
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | | | - Gota Morota
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | | | - Gabrielle M. Becker
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Gordon L. Spangler
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Michael D. MacNeil
- Delta G, Miles City, MT, United States
- Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - James E. Miller
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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Ferreira LGA, Nishino FA, Fernandes SG, Ribeiro CM, Hinton BT, Avellar MCW. Epididymal embryonic development harbors TLR4/NFKB signaling pathway as a morphogenetic player. J Reprod Immunol 2021; 149:103456. [PMID: 34915277 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2021.103456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The Wolffian duct (WD) is an embryonic tissue that undergoes androgen-induced morphological changes to become the epididymis. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)- and nuclear factor kB (NFKB)-induced effectors are expressed in the adult epididymis and represent important players in epididymal innate immune responses. TLR4/NFKB signaling pathway is evolutionarily conserved and plays a critical morphogenetic role in several species; however, its function during WD morphogenesis is unknown. We hypothesized that TLR4/NFKB pathway plays a role during WD development. Here we examined TLR4 expression and regulation of TLR4-target genes during rat WD morphogenesis between embryonic days (e) 17.5-20.5. The functionality of TLR4/NFKB signaling was examined using WD organotypic cultures treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E. coli (TLR4 agonist) and PDTC (NFKB inhibitor). TLR4 was detected at mRNA level in e17.5 (uncoiled duct) and e20.5 (coiled duct) WDs, and spatio-temporal changes in TLR4 immunoreactivity were observed between these two time points. Expression level analysis of a subset of TLR4-regulated genes showed that TLR4/NFKB pathway was activated after exposure of cultured WD to LPS (4 h), an event that was abrogated by PDTC. Long-term exposure of cultured WDs to LPS (96 h) resulted in dysregulations of morphogenetic events and LAMA1 immunodistribution changes, suggesting the extracellular matrix at the intersection between WD morphogenesis and balance of innate immune components. Our results unveil the epididymal morphogenesis as an event equipped with TLR4/NFKB signaling components that may serve developmental functions, and eventually transition to host defense function when the fetus is exposed to an infectious or noninfectious threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas G A Ferreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Fernanda A Nishino
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Samuel G Fernandes
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Camilla M Ribeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, 04044-020, Brazil; Centro Universitário do Planalto de Araxá (UNIARAXÁ), Araxá, MG, 38180-084, Brazil
| | - Barry T Hinton
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Maria Christina W Avellar
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, 04044-020, Brazil.
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Solaymani-Mohammadi S, Eckmann L, Singer SM. Interleukin (IL)-21 in Inflammation and Immunity During Parasitic Diseases. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:401. [PMID: 31867283 PMCID: PMC6904299 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality in the developing and underdeveloped countries. No efficacious vaccines are available against most parasitic diseases and there is a critical need for developing novel vaccine strategies for care. IL-21 is a pleiotropic cytokine whose functions in protection and immunopathology during parasitic diseases have been explored in limited ways. IL-21 and its cognate receptor, IL-21R, are highly expressed in parasitized organs of infected humans as well in murine models of the human parasitic diseases. Prior studies have indicated the ability of the IL-21/IL-21R signaling axis to regulate the effector functions (e.g., cytokine production) of T cell subsets by enhancing the expression of T-bet and STAT4 in human T cells, resulting in an augmented production of IFN-γ. Mice deficient for either IL-21 (Il21−/−) or IL-21R (Il21r−/−) showed significantly reduced inflammatory responses following parasitic infections as compared with their WT counterparts. Targeting the IL-21/IL-21R signaling axis may provide a novel approach for the development of new therapeutic agents for the prevention of parasite-induced immunopathology and tissue destruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahram Solaymani-Mohammadi
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Lars Eckmann
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Steven M Singer
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
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Dushku E, Ioannou A, Staikou A, Yiangou M. Probiotic properties and immunomodulatory activity of gastrointestinal tract commensal bacterial strains isolated from the edible farmed snail Cornu aspersum maxima. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 92:792-801. [PMID: 31271839 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.06.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro probiotic properties as well as the immunomodulatory activity of bacterial strains isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of the edible-farmed land snail Cornu aspersum maxima. Forty lactic acid bacterial strains (named Sgs1-40) were isolated from the intestinal tract and eight strains (named SgmA-H) from the oesophagus-crop of snails. Several criteria were used to examine whether they may be applied as snail-specific for the screening of the presumptive probiotic bacterial strains. Principal Component Analysis using criteria such as the tolerance of these strains to the pedal mucus, gastric mucus, gastric juices and low pH, as well as the expression of the cell surface traits of hydrophobicity, biofilm formation and autoaggregation capacity revealed discrimination of twelve strains exhibiting presumptive in vitro probiotic properties. Injection of eight of these strains, which were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, in snail haemocoel increased the recruitment and phagocytic activity of amoebocytes in snail haemolymph. The Sgs14 and SgmB strains, exhibiting the highest immunostimulatory activity in haemolymph, were FITC-labelled and orally administrated to snails for ten days. The Sgs14 strain was able to adhere to intestinal mucosa of snails and stimulate the chemotactic and phagocytic activity of amoebocytes in haemolymph as well as the bactericidal activity of haemolymph serum. These responses are potentially mediated by the regulation of TLRs expression in the gut mucosa. These data indicate that the determination of properties such as snail mucus and gastric juice tolerance, cell surface traits for adhesion as well as increased chemotactic and phagocytic activity in snail haemolymph are eligible criteria to screen for snail-specific probiotics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that investigates the probiotic properties of gastrointestinal microflora of the terrestrial farmed snail Cornu aspersum maxima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmeralda Dushku
- Department of Genetics, Development & Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Athanasia Ioannou
- Department of Genetics, Development & Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Alexandra Staikou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Minas Yiangou
- Department of Genetics, Development & Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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