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Kamaruzaman INA, Staton GJ, Ainsworth S, Carter SD, Evans NJ. Characterisation of Putative Outer Membrane Proteins from Leptospira borgpetersenii Serovar Hardjo-Bovis Identifies Novel Adhesins and Diversity in Adhesion across Genomospecies Orthologs. Microorganisms 2024; 12:245. [PMID: 38399649 PMCID: PMC10891613 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020245] [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] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease affecting mammalian species worldwide. Cattle are a major susceptible host; infection with pathogenic Leptospira spp. represents a public health risk and results in reproductive failure and reduced milk yield, causing economic losses. The characterisation of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) from disease-causing bacteria dissects pathogenesis and underpins vaccine development. As most leptospire pathogenesis research has focused on Leptospira interrogans, this study aimed to characterise novel OMPs from another important genomospecies, Leptospira borgpetersenii, which has global distribution and is relevant to bovine and human diseases. Several putative L. borgpetersenii OMPs were recombinantly expressed, refolded and purified, and evaluated for function and immunogenicity. Two of these unique, putative OMPs (rLBL0972 and rLBL2618) bound to immobilised fibronectin, laminin and fibrinogen, which, together with structural and functional data, supports their classification as leptospiral adhesins. A third putative OMP (rLBL0375), did not exhibit saturable adhesion ability but, together with rLBL0972 and the included control, OmpL1, demonstrated significant cattle milk IgG antibody reactivity from infected cows. To dissect leptospire host-pathogen interactions further, we expressed alleles of OmpL1 and a novel multi-specific adhesin, rLBL2618, from a variety of genomospecies and surveyed their adhesion ability, with both proteins exhibiting divergences in extracellular matrix component binding specificity across synthesised orthologs. We also observed functional redundancy across different L. borgspetersenii OMPs which, together with diversity in function across genomospecies orthologs, delineates multiple levels of plasticity in adhesion that is potentially driven by immune selection and host adaptation. These data identify novel leptospiral proteins which should be further evaluated as vaccine and/or diagnostic candidates. Moreover, functional redundancy across leptospire surface proteins together with identified adhesion divergence across genomospecies further dissect the complex host-pathogen interactions of a genus responsible for substantial global disease burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Intan Noor Aina Kamaruzaman
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK; (I.N.A.K.); (G.J.S.); (S.A.); (S.D.C.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Locked Bag 36, Kota Bharu 16100, Malaysia
| | - Gareth James Staton
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK; (I.N.A.K.); (G.J.S.); (S.A.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Stuart Ainsworth
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK; (I.N.A.K.); (G.J.S.); (S.A.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Stuart D. Carter
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK; (I.N.A.K.); (G.J.S.); (S.A.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Nicholas James Evans
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK; (I.N.A.K.); (G.J.S.); (S.A.); (S.D.C.)
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Kumar P, Vyas P, Faisal SM, Chang YF, Akif M. Crystal structure of a variable region segment of Leptospira host-interacting outer surface protein, LigA, reveals the orientation of Ig-like domains. Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125445. [PMID: 37336372 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125445] [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: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Leptospiral immunoglobulin-like (Lig) protein family is a surface-exposed protein from the pathogenic Leptospira. The Lig protein family has been identified as an essential virulence factor of L. interrogan. One of the family members, LigA, contains 13 homologous tandem repeats of bacterial Ig-like (Big) domains in its extracellular portion. It is crucial in binding with the host's Extracellular matrices (ECM) and complement factors. However, its vital role in the invasion and evasion of pathogenic Leptospira, structural details, and domain organization of the extracellular portion of this protein are not explored thoroughly. Here, we described the first high-resolution crystal structure of a variable region segment (LigA8-9) of LigA at 1.87 Å resolution. The structure showed some remarkably distinctive aspects compared with the most closely related Immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) members. The structure illustrated the relative orientation of two domains and highlighted the role of the linker region in the domain orientation. We also observed an apparent electron density of Ca2+ ions coordinated with a proper interacting geometry within the protein. Molecular dynamic simulations demonstrated the involvement of a linker salt bridge in providing rigidity between the two domains. Our study proposes an overall arrangement of Ig-like domains in the LigA protein. The structural understanding of the extracellular portion of LigA and its interaction with the ECM provides insight into developing new therapeutics directed toward leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Kumar
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, India
| | - Pallavi Vyas
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Syed M Faisal
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Mohd Akif
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, India.
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Characterization of novel nuclease and protease activities among Leptospiral immunoglobulin-like proteins. Arch Biochem Biophys 2022; 727:109349. [PMID: 35820644 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial immunoglobulin-like (BIg) domain containing proteins play a variety of biological functions. Leptospiral Immunoglobulin-like (Lig) proteins are well-known virulence factors located on the surface of the pathogenic Leptospira that act during adhesion, invasion, and immune evasion. The Lig proteins have many roles and have been designated as multifaceted proteins. However, the hydrolyzing function of Lig proteins is not yet investigated in detail. Here, we report novel in-vitro nuclease and protease activities in the Ig-like domain of LigA protein. All Ig-like domains were able to cleave DNA in the presence of a divalent ion, but not RNA. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed Mg+2 binding residues in the Ig-like domain of LigA7. The basis of novel nuclease activity may be associated with protein adopting different conformation in the presence of divalent ions and substrate as investigated by change of intrinsic fluorescence. The docking of a stretch of double-strand DNA shows the binding on the positive surface of the protein. In addition, the protein is also observed to cleave a general protease substrate, β-casein, in our experimental condition. Our results proposed that the novel functions may be associated with neutrophil extracellular Trap (NET) evasion. Overall this study enhances the basic knowledge of non-nuclease proteins involved in the DNA cleavage activity and makes the foundation to explore its in-vivo activity in pathogenic Leptospira and other pathogens as well. Moreover, this information may be utilized to develop preventive strategies to interfere with Leptospira immune evasion.
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Fernandes LGV, Putz EJ, Stasko J, Lippolis JD, Nascimento ALTO, Nally JE. Evaluation of LipL32 and LigA/LigB Knockdown Mutants in Leptospira interrogans Serovar Copenhageni: Impacts to Proteome and Virulence. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:799012. [PMID: 35185824 PMCID: PMC8847714 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.799012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira. The recent application of CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) to Leptospira facilitates targeted gene silencing and provides a new tool to investigate pathogenic mechanisms of leptospirosis. CRISPRi relies on the expression of a catalytically “dead” Cas9 (dCas9) and a single-guide RNA (sgRNA). Previously, our group generated a LipL32 and a double LigA/LigB (LigAB) mutant, which, in the current study, are characterized by whole-cell proteomics in comparison with control leptospires harboring plasmid expressing dCas9 alone. Comparison of control and LigAB mutant leptospires identified 46 significantly differentially expressed (DE) proteins, including 27 proteins that were less abundant and 19 proteins that were more abundant in the LigAB mutant compared with the control. Comparison of the control and LipL32 mutant leptospires identified 243 DE proteins, of which 84 proteins were more abundant and 159 were less abundant in the LipL32 mutant strain. Significantly increased amounts of known virulence impactors and surface membrane receptors, including LipL45, LipL31, LigB, and LipL41, were identified. The virulence of LipL32 and LigAB mutants were evaluated in the hamster model of leptospirosis; the LigAB mutant was unable to cause acute disease although mutant leptospires could still be recovered from target organs, albeit at a significantly lower bacterial burden (<850 and <16-fold in liver and kidney, respectively, in comparison with control), indicating attenuation of virulence and a shift to chronic bacterial persistence. Notably, the LipL32 mutant displayed augmented virulence as evidenced by early onset of clinical symptoms and increased numbers of circulating foamy macrophages. Validation of LipL32 and LigAB mutants recovered from liver and kidney in the presence or absence of antibiotic selection revealed high plasmid stability and, by extension, gene silencing in vivo. Collectively, this work emphasizes the advantages and feasibility of using CRISPRi technology to evaluate and characterize virulence factors of leptospires and their respective host–pathogen interactions in animal models of leptospirosis. Importantly, it also provides insight into the requirements of LigA and LigB for acute disease and explores the impact of silencing expression of lipL32, which resulted in substantial changes in amounts of outer membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis G V Fernandes
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA, United States.,Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ellie J Putz
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Judith Stasko
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA, United States
| | - John D Lippolis
- Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ana L T O Nascimento
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jarlath E Nally
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA, United States
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Daroz BB, Fernandes LGV, Cavenague MF, Kochi LT, Passalia FJ, Takahashi MB, Nascimento Filho EG, Teixeira AF, Nascimento ALTO. A Review on Host- Leptospira Interactions: What We Know and Future Expectations. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:777709. [PMID: 34900757 PMCID: PMC8657130 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.777709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. It is considered a neglected infectious disease of human and veterinary concern. Our group has been investigating proteins annotated as hypothetical, predicted to be located on the leptospiral surface. Because of their location, these proteins may have the ability to interact with various host components, which could allow establishment of the infection. These proteins act as adherence factors by binding to host receptor molecules, such as the extracellular matrix (ECM) components laminin and glycosaminoglycans to help bacterial colonization. Leptospira also interacts with the host fibrinolytic system, which has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool for invasion mechanisms. The interaction with fibrinogen and thrombin has been shown to reduce fibrin clot formation. Additionally, the degradation of coagulation cascade components by secreted proteases or by acquired surface plasmin could also play a role in reducing clot formation, hence facilitating dissemination during infection. Interaction with host complement system regulators also plays a role in helping bacteria to evade the immune system, facilitating invasion. Interaction of Leptospira to cell receptors, such as cadherins, can contribute to investigate molecules that participate in virulence. To achieve a better understanding of the host-pathogen interaction, leptospiral mutagenesis tools have been developed and explored. This work presents several proteins that mediate binding to components of the ECM, plasma, components of the complement system and cells, to gather research achievements that can be helpful in better understanding the mechanisms of leptospiral-host interactions and discuss genetic manipulation for Leptospira spp. aimed at protein function validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda B. Daroz
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pos-Graduacao Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luis G. V. Fernandes
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria F. Cavenague
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pos-Graduacao Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leandro T. Kochi
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pos-Graduacao Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe J. Passalia
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pos-Graduacao Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria B. Takahashi
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pos-Graduacao Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edson G. Nascimento Filho
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pos-Graduacao Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline F. Teixeira
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana L. T. O. Nascimento
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pos-Graduacao Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Ho JD, Takara LEM, Monaris D, Gonçalves AP, Souza-Filho AF, de Souza GO, Heinemann MB, Ho PL, Abreu PAE. GroEL protein of the Leptospira spp. interacts with host proteins and induces cytokines secretion on macrophages. BMC Microbiol 2021; 21:99. [PMID: 33789603 PMCID: PMC8011160 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02162-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection with spirochetes from Leptospira genus. It has been classified into at least 17 pathogenic species, with more than 250 serologic variants. This wide distribution may be a result of leptospiral ability to colonize the renal tubules of mammalian hosts, including humans, wildlife, and many domesticated animals. Previous studies showed that the expression of proteins belonging to the microbial heat shock protein (HSP) family is upregulated during infection and also during various stress stimuli. Several proteins of this family are known to have important roles in the infectious processes in other bacteria, but the role of HSPs in Leptospira spp. is poorly understood. In this study, we have evaluated the capacity of the protein GroEL, a member of HSP family, of interacting with host proteins and of stimulating the production of cytokines by macrophages. RESULTS The binding experiments demonstrated that the recombinant GroEL protein showed interaction with several host components in a dose-dependent manner. It was also observed that GroEL is a surface protein, and it is secreted extracellularly. Moreover, two cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6) were produced when macrophages cells were stimulated with this protein. CONCLUSIONS Our findings showed that GroEL protein may contribute to the adhesion of leptospires to host tissues and stimulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines during infection. These features might indicate an important role of GroEL in the pathogen-host interaction in the leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Dias Ho
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Denize Monaris
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Antonio Francisco Souza-Filho
- Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gisele Oliveira de Souza
- Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Bryan Heinemann
- Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Lee Ho
- Bioindustrial Division, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
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Haake DA, Matsunaga J. Leptospiral Immunoglobulin-Like Domain Proteins: Roles in Virulence and Immunity. Front Immunol 2021; 11:579907. [PMID: 33488581 PMCID: PMC7821625 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.579907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The virulence mechanisms required for infection and evasion of immunity by pathogenic Leptospira species remain poorly understood. A number of L. interrogans surface proteins have been discovered, lying at the interface between the pathogen and host. Among these proteins, the functional properties of the Lig (leptospiral immunoglobulin-like domain) proteins have been examined most thoroughly. LigA, LigB, and LigC contain a series of, 13, 12, and 12 closely related domains, respectively, each containing a bacterial immunoglobulin (Big) -like fold. The multidomain region forms a mostly elongated structure that exposes a large surface area. Leptospires wield the Lig proteins to promote interactions with a range of specific host proteins, including those that aid evasion of innate immune mechanisms. These diverse binding events mediate adhesion of L. interrogans to the extracellular matrix, inhibit hemostasis, and inactivate key complement proteins. These interactions may help L. interrogans overcome the physical, hematological, and immunological barriers that would otherwise prevent the spirochete from establishing a systemic infection. Despite significant differences in the affinities of the LigA and LigB proteins for host targets, their functions overlap during lethal infection of hamsters; virulence is lost only when both ligA and ligB transcription is knocked down simultaneously. Lig proteins have been shown to be promising vaccine antigens through evaluation of a variety of different adjuvant strategies. This review serves to summarize current knowledge of Lig protein roles in virulence and immunity and to identify directions needed to better understand the precise functions of the Lig proteins during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Haake
- Division of Infectious Diseases, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Departments of Medicine, and Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - James Matsunaga
- Research Service, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Mathelié-Guinlet M, Chantraine C, Viela F, Pietrocola G, Speziale P, Dufrêne YF. Nanomechanics of the molecular complex between staphylococcal adhesin SpsD and elastin. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:13996-14003. [PMID: 32578656 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr02745f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius surface protein SpsD binds to extracellular matrix proteins to invade canine epithelial cells. Using single-molecule experiments, we show that SpsD engages in two modes of interaction with elastin that are tightly controlled by physical stress. Binding is weak (∼100 pN) at low tensile force (i.e. loading rate), but is dramatically enhanced (up to ∼1500 pN) by mechanical tension. Consistent with a "dock, lock, and latch" (DLL) mechanism, this force represents among the highest mechanical strengths known for a non-covalent biological interaction. The transition from weak to strong binding correlates with an increase in molecular stiffness but, surprisingly, with a decrease in molecular extension. This unanticipated mechanical behavior indicates that the adhesin is engaged in two distinct interaction mechanisms. Our results emphasize the crucial role of protein nanomechanics in the adhesion of staphylococci, and illustrate their wide diversity of force-dependent ligand-binding activities. These single-molecule mechanical experiments may contribute to the development of antiadhesion approaches to treat infections caused by S. pseudintermedius and other bacterial pathogens engaged in DLL interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mathelié-Guinlet
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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A Modified ELISA Method to Evaluate the Interaction of Schistosoma mansoni Proteins with Plasminogen. Methods Mol Biol 2020. [PMID: 32452005 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0635-3_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
An important aspect of host-pathogen interactions is the interference of secreted proteins with the fibrinolytic system. Herein, we describe a modified ELISA method used to evaluate the interaction of a recombinant Schistosoma mansoni protein with plasminogen (PLG). Using this protocol, we demonstrated that a secreted protein, recombinant venom allergen-like protein 18 (rSmVAL18) acts as a plasminogen receptor increasing its activation into plasmin in the presence of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). PLG binding was determined by immobilizing human PLG in the plate and incubating with the recombinant protein; competitive binding with a lysine analog demonstrated the interaction of the protein lysine residues with PLG Kringle domains. To assess the activation of S. mansoni recombinant protein-bound PLG, the amidolytic activity of generated plasmin was measured using the D-Val-Leu-Lys 4-nitroanilide dihydrochloride substrate.
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Lin YP, Tan X, Caine JA, Castellanos M, Chaconas G, Coburn J, Leong JM. Strain-specific joint invasion and colonization by Lyme disease spirochetes is promoted by outer surface protein C. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008516. [PMID: 32413091 PMCID: PMC7255614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzelii and B. garinii, is a chronic, multi-systemic infection and the spectrum of tissues affected can vary with the Lyme disease strain. For example, whereas B. garinii infection is associated with neurologic manifestations, B. burgdorferi infection is associated with arthritis. The basis for tissue tropism is poorly understood, but has been long hypothesized to involve strain-specific interactions with host components in the target tissue. OspC (outer surface protein C) is a highly variable outer surface protein required for infectivity, and sequence differences in OspC are associated with variation in tissue invasiveness, but whether OspC directly influences tropism is unknown. We found that OspC binds to the extracellular matrix (ECM) components fibronectin and/or dermatan sulfate in an OspC variant-dependent manner. Murine infection by isogenic B. burgdorferi strains differing only in their ospC coding region revealed that two OspC variants capable of binding dermatan sulfate promoted colonization of all tissues tested, including joints. However, an isogenic strain producing OspC from B. garinii strain PBr, which binds fibronectin but not dermatan sulfate, colonized the skin, heart and bladder, but not joints. Moreover, a strain producing an OspC altered to recognize neither fibronectin nor dermatan sulfate displayed dramatically reduced levels of tissue colonization that were indistinguishable from a strain entirely deficient in OspC. Finally, intravital microscopy revealed that this OspC mutant, in contrast to a strain producing wild type OspC, was defective in promoting joint invasion by B. burgdorferi in living mice. We conclude that OspC functions as an ECM-binding adhesin that is required for joint invasion, and that variation in OspC sequence contributes to strain-specific differences in tissue tropism displayed among Lyme disease spirochetes. Infection by different Lyme disease bacteria is associated with different manifestations, such as cardiac, neurologic, or, in the case of B. burgdorferi, the major cause of Lyme disease in the U.S., joint disease. The basis for these differences is unknown, but likely involve strain-specific interactions with host components in the target tissue. The sequence of the outer surface lipoprotein OspC varies with the strains, and we found that this variation influences the spectrum of host extracellular matrix components recognized. Infection of mice with strains that are identical except for ospC revealed that OspC variants that differ in binding spectrum promote infection of different tissues. A strain producing OspC invaded and colonized the joint in living animals, but an altered OspC protein incapable of binding tissue components did not. Thus, tissue-binding by OspC is critical for infection and joint invasion, and OspC variation directly influences tissue tropism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Pin Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Xi Tan
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jennifer A. Caine
- Division of Infectious Diseases, and Center for Infectious Disease Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Mildred Castellanos
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - George Chaconas
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jenifer Coburn
- Division of Infectious Diseases, and Center for Infectious Disease Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JC); (JML)
| | - John M. Leong
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JC); (JML)
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The Factor H-Binding Site of CspZ as a Protective Target against Multistrain, Tick-Transmitted Lyme Disease. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00956-19. [PMID: 32122944 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00956-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is the causative agent of Lyme disease (LD). The spirochetes produce the CspZ protein that binds to a complement regulator, factor H (FH). Such binding downregulates activation of host complement to facilitate spirochete evasion of complement killing. However, vaccination with CspZ does not protect against LD infection. In this study, we demonstrated that immunization with CspZ-YA, a CspZ mutant protein with no FH-binding activity, protected mice from infection by several spirochete genotypes introduced via tick feeding. We found that the sera from CspZ-YA-vaccinated mice more efficiently eliminated spirochetes and blocked CspZ FH-binding activity than sera from CspZ-immunized mice. We also found that vaccination with CspZ, but not CspZ-YA, triggered the production of anti-FH antibodies, justifying CspZ-YA as an LD vaccine candidate. The mechanistic and efficacy information derived from this study provides insights into the development of a CspZ-based LD vaccine.
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12
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Putative β-Barrel Outer Membrane Proteins of the Bovine Digital Dermatitis-Associated Treponemes: Identification, Functional Characterization, and Immunogenicity. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00050-20. [PMID: 32122940 PMCID: PMC7171239 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00050-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD), an infectious disease of the bovine foot with a predominant treponemal etiology, is a leading cause of lameness in dairy and beef herds worldwide. BDD is poorly responsive to antimicrobial therapy and exhibits a relapsing clinical course; an effective vaccine is therefore urgently sought. Using a reverse vaccinology approach, the present study surveyed the genomes of the three BDD-associated Treponema phylogroups for putative β-barrel outer membrane proteins and considered their potential as vaccine candidates. Selection criteria included the presence of a signal peptidase I cleavage site, a predicted β-barrel fold, and cross-phylogroup homology. Four candidate genes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), refolded, and purified. Consistent with their classification as β-barrel OMPs, circular-dichroism spectroscopy revealed the adoption of a predominantly β-sheet secondary structure. These recombinant proteins, when screened for their ability to adhere to immobilized extracellular matrix (ECM) components, exhibited a diverse range of ligand specificities. All four proteins specifically and dose dependently adhered to bovine fibrinogen. One recombinant protein was identified as a candidate diagnostic antigen (disease specificity, 75%). Finally, when adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide and administered to BDD-naive calves using a prime-boost vaccination protocol, these proteins were immunogenic, eliciting specific IgG antibodies. In summary, we present the description of four putative treponemal β-barrel OMPs that exhibit the characteristics of multispecific adhesins. The observed interactions with fibrinogen may be critical to host colonization and it is hypothesized that vaccination-induced antibody blockade of these interactions will impede treponemal virulence and thus be of therapeutic value.
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Barbosa AS, Isaac L. Strategies used by Leptospira spirochetes to evade the host complement system. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:2633-2644. [PMID: 32153015 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Leptospires are highly invasive spirochetes equipped with efficient strategies for dissemination in the host. The Leptospira genus currently comprises 64 species divided into two major clades: the saprophytes composed of nonpathogenic, free-living organisms, and the pathogens encompassing all the species that cause mild or severe infections in humans and animals. While saprophytes are highly susceptible to the lytic action of the complement system, pathogenic (virulent) strains have evolved virulence strategies that allow efficient colonization of a variety of hosts and target organs, including mechanisms to circumvent hosts' innate and acquired immune responses. Pathogenic Leptospira avoid complement-mediated killing by recruiting host complement regulatory proteins and by targeting complement proteins using own and host-expressed proteases. This review outlines the role of complement in eradicating saprophytic Leptospira and the stratagems adopted by pathogenic Leptospira to maneuver the host complement system for their benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lourdes Isaac
- Laboratory of Complement, Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Zhang R, Zhou W, Ye Q, Song S, Wang Y, Xu Y, Zeng L. Comparative genomic analysis of Chinese human leptospirosis vaccine strain and circulating isolate. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 16:1345-1353. [PMID: 32045318 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1720439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
LEPTOSPIRA INTERROGANS serogroup Canicola is one of the most important pathogens causing leptospirosis and is used as a vaccine strain of the current Chinese human leptospirosis vaccine. To characterize leptospiral pathogens, L. interrogans serogroup Canicola vaccine strain 611 and circulating isolate LJ178 from different hosts at different periods were sequenced using a combined strategy of Illumina X10 and PacBio technologies, and a comprehensive comparative analysis with other published Leptospira strains was conducted in this study. High levels of genomic similarities were observed between vaccine strain 611 and circulating isolate LJ178; both had two circular chromosomes and two circular extrachromosomal replicons. Compared with the strain 611 genome, 132 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 92 indels were found in strain LJ178. The larger lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis locus of serogroup Canicola was identified in both genomes. The phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome sequences revealed that serogroup Canicola was not restricted to a specific host or geographic location, suggesting adaptive evolution associated with the ecologic diversity. In summary, our findings provide insights into a better molecular understanding of the component strains of human leptospirosis vaccine in China. Furthermore, these data detail the genetic composition and evolutionary relatedness of Leptospira strains that pose a health risk to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruipeng Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University , Nanchang, People's Republic of China.,Scholl of Medicine, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenkai Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University , Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Ye
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes of Food and Drug Control , Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Sichao Song
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai , Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuezhu Wang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai , Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinghua Xu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes of Food and Drug Control , Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingbing Zeng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University , Nanchang, People's Republic of China
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15
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Cloning and sequencing of the ompL37 gene present in Leptospira interrogans, a surface protein in pathogenic leptospires. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY 2019; 11:373-378. [PMID: 32148667 PMCID: PMC7049318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Leptospirosis, an infection caused by pathogenic leptospires, is associated with insufficient sanitation and poverty. Leptospira is transmitted through contact with contaminated urine of reservoir animals. The primary objective of this study was to clone and sequence the ompL37 gene present in local and vaccine serovars. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 16 Leptospira interrogans serovars were cultured in EMJH liquid medium. After growing, genomic DNA was extracted using phenol-chloroform method. Primer pair was synthesized to amplify the 996 bp ompL37 sequence. The amplified ompL37 gene was cloned into pTZ57R/T vector. The sequences obtained from this study were compared with an only recorded sequence in the Genbank by the Meg Align software. RESULTS PCR products showed an amplified 996bp ompL37 gene product belonging to pathogenic serovars, while no ompL37 products were amplified in non-pathogenic serovars. Sequences comparison tests from 16 native serotypes examined in this study displayed a similarity range of 84% to 99.5% among serovars used. The results showed that two serotypes of L. interrogans including Serjoehardjo (RTCC2810 and RTCC2821) had the highest identity up to 95.5%. Two serovars of L. interrogans including Pomona (RTCC2822) and Icterohaemorrhagiae (RTCC2823) had the lowest identity about 84%. CONCLUSION As the results showed, ompL37, present on the surface of such bacteria, showed a conserved sequence. ompL37, as a key role in cell adhesion and pathogenicity, can be used for designing diagnostic tests and vaccines. Furthermore, sequencing of various sites in ompL37 gene, including binding sites and immunogenic epitopes, can be valuable alternatives for future studies.
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16
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Kuo CJ, Gao J, Huang JW, Ko TP, Zhai C, Ma L, Liu W, Dai L, Chang YF, Chen TH, Hu Y, Yu X, Guo RT, Chen CC. Functional and structural investigations of fibronectin-binding protein Apa from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2019; 1863:1351-1359. [PMID: 31175911 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alanine and proline-rich protein (Apa) is a secreted antigen of Mycobacterium spp. which involves in stimulating immune responses and adhering to host cells by binding to fibronectin (Fn). Here, we report the crystal structure of Apa from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and its Fn-binding characteristics. METHODS The crystal structure of Mtb Apa was determined at resolutions of 1.54 Å. The dissociation constants (KD) of Apa and individual modules of Fn were determined by surface plasmon resonance and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed to investigate the putative Fn-binding motif of Apa. RESULTS Mtb Apa folds into a large seven-stranded anti-parallel β-sheet which is flanked by three α-helices. The binding affinity of Mtb Apa to individual Fn modules was assessed and the results indicated that the Mtb Apa binds to FnIII-4 and FnIII-5 of Fn CBD segment. Notably, structure analysis suggested that the previously proposed Fn-binding motif 258RWFV261 is buried within the protein and may not be accessible to the binding counterpart. CONCLUSIONS The structural and Fn-binding characteristics we reported here provide molecular insights into the multifunctional protein Mtb Apa. FnIII-4 and FnIII-5 of CBD are the only two modules contributing to Apa-Fn interaction. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE This is the first study to report the structure and Fn-binding characteristics of mycobacterial Apa. Since Apa plays a central role in stimulating immune responses and host cells adhesion, these results are of great importance in understanding the pathogenesis of mycobacterium. This information shall provide a guidance for the development of anti-mycobacteria regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Jung Kuo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Jian Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Jian-Wen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Tzu-Ping Ko
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
| | - Chao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Lixin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Weidong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Longhai Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
| | - Ter-Hsin Chen
- Graduate Institute of Veterinary Pathobiology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Yumei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xuejing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
| | - Rey-Ting Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China.
| | - Chun-Chi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
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17
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Abstract
Temperature variation is one of the multiple parameters a microbial pathogen encounters when it invades a warm-blooded host. To survive and thrive at host body temperature, human pathogens have developed various strategies to sense and respond to their ambient temperature. An instantaneous response is mounted by RNA thermometers (RNATs), which are integral sensory structures in mRNAs that modulate translation efficiency. At low temperatures outside the host, the folded RNA blocks access of the ribosome to the translation initiation region. The temperature shift upon entering the host destabilizes the RNA structure and thus permits ribosome binding. This reversible zipper-like mechanism of RNATs is ideally suited to fine-tune virulence gene expression when the pathogen enters or exits the body of its host. This review summarizes our present knowledge on virulence-related RNATs and discusses recent developments in the field.
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18
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Ptak CP, Akif M, Hsieh C, Devarajan A, He P, Xu Y, Oswald RE, Chang Y. Comparative screening of recombinant antigen thermostability for improved leptospirosis vaccine design. Biotechnol Bioeng 2018; 116:260-271. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P. Ptak
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
- Department of Molecular MedicineCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
| | - Mohd. Akif
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of HyderabadHyderabad India
| | - Ching‐Lin Hsieh
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
| | - Alex Devarajan
- Department of Molecular MedicineCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
| | - Ping He
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyInstitutes of Medical Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai China
| | - Yinghua Xu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug ControlBeijing China
| | - Robert E. Oswald
- Department of Molecular MedicineCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
| | - Yung‐Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
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19
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Validi M, Karkhah A, Prajapati VK, Nouri HR. Immuno-informatics based approaches to design a novel multi epitope-based vaccine for immune response reinforcement against Leptospirosis. Mol Immunol 2018; 104:128-138. [PMID: 30448609 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is known as a zoonotic disease of global importance originated from infection with the spirochete bacterium Leptospira. Although several leptospirosis vaccines have been tested, the vaccination is relatively unsuccessful in clinical application despite decades of research. Therefore, this study was conducted to construct a novel multi-epitope based vaccine against leptospirosis by using Hap1, LigA, LAg42, SphH and HSP58 antigens. T cell and IFN gamma epitopes were predicted from these antigens. In addition, to induce strong CD4+ helper T lymphocytes (HTLs) responses, Pan HLA DR-binding epitope (PADRE) and helper epitopes selected from Tetanus toxin fragment C (TTFrC) were applied. Moreover, for boosting immune response, Heparin-Binding Hemagglutinin (HBHA), a novel TLR4 agonist was added to the construct as an adjuvant. Finally, selected epitopes were linked together using EAAAK, GPGPG, AAY and HEYGAEALERAG linkers. Based on the predicted epitopes, a multi-epitope vaccine was construct with 490 amino acids. Physico-chemical properties, secondary and tertiary structures, stability, intrinsic protein disorder, solubility, and allergenicity of this vaccine construct were assessed by applying immunoinformatics analyses. A soluble, and non-allergic protein with a molecular weight of 53.476 kDa was obtained. Further analyses validated the stability of the chimeric protein and the predicted epitopes in the chimeric vaccine indicated strong potential to induce B-cell and T-cell mediated immune response. Therefore, immunoinformatics analysis showed that the modeled multi-epitope vaccine can properly stimulate the both T and B cells immune responses and could potentially be used for prophylactic or therapeutic usages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Validi
- Clinical Biochemistry Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Ahmad Karkhah
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Vijay Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandarsindri, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
| | - Hamid Reza Nouri
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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20
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Ghosh KK, Prakash A, Shrivastav P, Balamurugan V, Kumar M. Evaluation of a novel outer membrane surface-exposed protein, LIC13341 of Leptospira, as an adhesin and serodiagnostic candidate marker for leptospirosis. Microbiology (Reading) 2018; 164:1023-1037. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Karukriti Kaushik Ghosh
- 1Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Aman Prakash
- 1Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Prateek Shrivastav
- 1Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Vinayagamurthy Balamurugan
- 2Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- 1Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
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Catecholamine-Modulated Novel Surface-Exposed Adhesin LIC20035 of Leptospira spp. Binds Host Extracellular Matrix Components and Is Recognized by the Host during Infection. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.02360-17. [PMID: 29269501 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02360-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, the effect of the host stress hormone catecholamine on Leptospira gene transcripts encoding outer membrane proteins was investigated. There was no impact of catecholamine supplementation on the in vitro growth pattern of Leptospira interrogans; however, 7 genes out of 41 were differentially transcribed, and the effect was reversed to the basal level in the presence of the antagonist propranolol. Comprehensive analysis of one of the differentially regulated proteins, LIC20035 (in serovar Copenhageni)/LB047 (in serovar Lai) (due to catecholamine supplementation), revealed immunogenicity and ability to adhere to host extracellular matrices. Protease accessibility assay and phase partition of integral membrane proteins of Leptospira showed LIC20035/LB047 to be an outer membrane surface-exposed protein. The recombinant LIC20035 protein can be serologically detected using human/bovine sera positive for leptospirosis. Moreover, the recombinant LIC20035 can bind to diverse host extracellular matrices, with a higher affinity toward collagen and chondroitin sulfate.IMPORTANCE Leptospirosis is a neglected tropical disease of global importance. This study aimed to identify outer membrane proteins of pathogenic Leptospira responding to host chemical signals like catecholamines, with the potential to serve as virulence factors, new serodiagnostic antigens, and vaccine candidates. This study mimicked the plausible means by which Leptospira during infection and hormonal stress intercepts host catecholamines to disseminate in host tissues.
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22
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Fernandes RS, Fernandes LGV, de Godoy AS, Miyasato PA, Nakano E, Farias LP, Nascimento ALTO, Leite LCC. Schistosoma mansoni venom allergen-like protein 18 (SmVAL18) is a plasminogen-binding protein secreted during the early stages of mammalian-host infection. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2018; 221:23-31. [PMID: 29477861 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma which have a complex life cycle characterized by an asexual multiplication phase in the snail intermediate host and a sexual reproduction phase in the mammalian definitive host. The initial steps of the human host infection involve the secretion of proteins contained in the acetabular glands of cercariae that promote parasite adhesion and proteolysis of the skin layers. Herein, we performed a functional analysis of SmVAL18, identified as one of the three SCP/TAPS proteins constituent of cercarial secretions. We evaluated the SmVAL18 binding to immobilized macromolecules of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to plasma components. Recombinant protein, expressed in E. coli, was found to maintain an ordered secondary structure typical of the SCP/TAPS domain after purification. Expression of native SmVAL18 protein was verified to be restricted to cercariae and 3-h schistosomula stages; furthermore, the protein was observed in the corresponding secretions, confirming that SmVAL18 is secreted during the first 3 h of in vitro culture. rSmVAL18 was able to interact specifically with plasminogen (PLG) and enhance its conversion into plasmin in the presence of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). Protein homology modelling suggested that the PLG-rSmVAL18 interaction was mediated by lysine residues of the protein. This was supported by in vitro data using the lysine analogue, 6-aminocaproic acid (ACA), which abolished the interaction. Finally, our results showed that both cercariae and 3-h schistosomula, as well as their corresponding secretions, exhibited the capacity to bind PLG and enhance its conversion into plasmin in vitro in the same way as observed for the recombinant protein. In conclusion, our findings show that SmVAL18 is a novel PLG-binding protein secreted during the early stages of the mammalian-host infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela S Fernandes
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luis G V Fernandes
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Andre S de Godoy
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Patrícia A Miyasato
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliana Nakano
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Leonardo P Farias
- IGM - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121, 40296-710 Salvador, BA, Brazil.
| | - Ana L T O Nascimento
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana C C Leite
- Laboratorio de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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23
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Marcinkiewicz AL, Lieknina I, Kotelovica S, Yang X, Kraiczy P, Pal U, Lin YP, Tars K. Eliminating Factor H-Binding Activity of Borrelia burgdorferi CspZ Combined with Virus-Like Particle Conjugation Enhances Its Efficacy as a Lyme Disease Vaccine. Front Immunol 2018; 9:181. [PMID: 29472926 PMCID: PMC5809437 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease in the US and Europe. No potent human vaccine is currently available. The innate immune complement system is vital to host defense against pathogens, as complement activation on the surface of spirochetes results in bacterial killing. Complement system is inhibited by the complement regulator factor H (FH). To escape killing, B. burgdorferi produces an outer surface protein CspZ that binds FH to inhibit complement activation on the cell surface. Immunization with CspZ alone does not protect mice from infection, which we speculate is because FH-binding cloaks potentially protective epitopes. We modified CspZ by conjugating to virus-like particles (VLP-CspZ) and eliminating FH binding (modified VLP-CspZ) to increase immunogenicity. We observed greater bactericidal antibody titers in mice vaccinated with modified VLP-CspZ: A serum dilution of 1:395 (modified VLP-CspZ) vs 1:143 (VLP-CspZ) yielded 50% borreliacidal activity. Immunizing mice with modified VLP-CspZ cleared spirochete infection, as did passive transfer of elicited antibodies. This work developed a novel Lyme disease vaccine candidate by conjugating CspZ to VLP and eliminating FH-binding ability. Such a strategy of conjugating an antigen to a VLP and eliminating binding to the target ligand can serve as a general model for developing vaccines against other bacterial infectious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L. Marcinkiewicz
- Division of Infectious Disease, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Ilva Lieknina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | | | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Disease, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Science, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Kaspars Tars
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
- Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
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24
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Pawar AD, Verma D, Sankeshi V, Raman R, Sharma Y. Strategizing for the purification of a multiple Big domain-containing protein in native conformation is worth it! Protein Expr Purif 2017; 145:25-31. [PMID: 29287899 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2017.12.008] [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: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The reliability and accuracy of conformational or functional studies of any novel multidomain protein rely on the quality of protein. The bottleneck in structural studies with the complete Big_2 domain containing proteins like LigA, LigB or MpIBP is usually their large molecular size owing to their multidomain (>10-12 domains) architectures. Interestingly, a soil bacterium Paenarthrobacter aurescens TC1, harbours a gene that encodes a protein comprising of four predicted Big_2 domains. We report here the expression and purification of this novel, multiple Big_2 domains containing protein, Arig of P. aurescens TC1. During overexpression, recombinant Arig formed inclusion bodies and hence was purified by on-column refolding. The refolded Arig revealed a β-sheet conformation and a well-resolved near-UV CD spectra but did not exhibit a well-dispersed 2D [1H-15N]-HSQC NMR spectrum, as expected for a well-folded β-sheet native conformation. We, therefore, further optimized Arig overexpression in the soluble fraction by including osmolytes. CD spectroscopic and 2D [1H-15N]-HSQC analyses consolidate that Arig purified alternatively has a well-folded native conformation. While we describe different strategies for purification of Arig, we also present the spectral properties of this novel all-β-sheet protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmita D Pawar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India.
| | - Deepshikha Verma
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai, 400005, India
| | - Venu Sankeshi
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India
| | - Rajeev Raman
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India
| | - Yogendra Sharma
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
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25
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Hsieh CL, Ptak CP, Tseng A, Suguiura IMDS, McDonough SP, Sritrakul T, Li T, Lin YP, Gillilan RE, Oswald RE, Chang YF. Extended low-resolution structure of a Leptospira antigen offers high bactericidal antibody accessibility amenable to vaccine design. eLife 2017; 6:e30051. [PMID: 29210669 PMCID: PMC5749957 DOI: 10.7554/elife.30051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogens rely on proteins embedded on their surface to perform tasks essential for host infection. These obligatory structures exposed to the host immune system provide important targets for rational vaccine design. Here, we use a systematically designed series of multi-domain constructs in combination with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine the structure of the main immunoreactive region from a major antigen from Leptospira interrogans, LigB. An anti-LigB monoclonal antibody library exhibits cell binding and bactericidal activity with extensive domain coverage complementing the elongated architecture observed in the SAXS structure. Combining antigenic motifs in a single-domain chimeric immunoglobulin-like fold generated a vaccine that greatly enhances leptospiral protection over vaccination with single parent domains. Our study demonstrates how understanding an antigen's structure and antibody accessible surfaces can guide the design and engineering of improved recombinant antigen-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Lin Hsieh
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Christopher P Ptak
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Andrew Tseng
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | | | - Sean P McDonough
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Tepyuda Sritrakul
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious DiseaseWadsworth Center, New York State Department of HealthAlbanyUnited States
| | - Richard E Gillilan
- Macromolecular Diffraction Facility at CHESS (MacCHESS)Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Robert E Oswald
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineCornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
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26
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Caine JA, Lin YP, Kessler JR, Sato H, Leong JM, Coburn J. Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein C (OspC) binds complement component C4b and confers bloodstream survival. Cell Microbiol 2017; 19:10.1111/cmi.12786. [PMID: 28873507 PMCID: PMC5680108 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) is the causative agent of Lyme disease in the United States, a disease that can result in carditis, and chronic and debilitating arthritis and/or neurologic symptoms if left untreated. Bb survives in the midgut of the Ixodes scapularis tick, or within tissues of immunocompetent hosts. In the early stages of infection, the bacteria are present in the bloodstream where they must resist clearance by the innate immune system of the host. We have found a novel role for outer surface protein C (OspC) from B. burgdorferi and B. garinii in interactions with the complement component C4b and bloodstream survival in vivo. Our data show that OspC inhibits the classical and lectin complement pathways and competes with complement protein C2 for C4b binding. Resistance to complement is important for maintenance of the lifecycle of Bb, enabling survival of the pathogen within the host as well as in the midgut of a feeding tick when ospC expression is induced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Caine
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY
| | - Julie R. Kessler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Hiromi Sato
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - John M. Leong
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Jenifer Coburn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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27
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Priya SP, Sakinah S, Sharmilah K, Hamat RA, Sekawi Z, Higuchi A, Ling MP, Nordin SA, Benelli G, Kumar SS. Leptospirosis: Molecular trial path and immunopathogenesis correlated with dengue, malaria and mimetic hemorrhagic infections. Acta Trop 2017; 176:206-223. [PMID: 28823908 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Immuno-pathogenesis of leptospirosis can be recounted well by following its trail path from entry to exit, while inducing disastrous damages in various tissues of the host. Dysregulated, inappropriate and excessive immune responses are unanimously blamed in fatal leptospirosis. The inherent abilities of the pathogen and inabilities of the host were debated targeting the severity of the disease. Hemorrhagic manifestation through various mechanisms leading to a fatal end is observed when this disease is unattended. The similar vascular destructions and hemorrhage manifestations are noted in infections with different microbes in endemic areas. The simultaneous infection in a host with more than one pathogen or parasite is referred as the coinfection. Notably, common endemic infections such as leptospirosis, dengue, chikungunya, and malaria, harbor favorable environments to flourish in similar climates, which is aggregated with stagnated water and aggravated with the poor personal and environmental hygiene of the inhabitants. These factors aid the spread of pathogens and parasites to humans and potential vectors, eventually leading to outbreaks of public health relevance. Malaria, dengue and chikungunya need mosquitoes as vectors, in contrast with leptospirosis, which directly invades human, although the environmental bacterial load is maintained through other mammals, such as rodents. The more complicating issue is that infections by different pathogens exhibiting similar symptoms but require different treatment management. The current review explores different pathogens expressing specific surface proteins and their ability to bind with array of host proteins with or without immune response to enter into the host tissues and their ability to evade the host immune responses to invade and their affinity to certain tissues leading to the common squeal of hemorrhage. Furthermore, at the host level, the increased susceptibility and inability of the host to arrest the pathogens' and parasites' spread in different tissues, various cytokines accumulated to eradicate the microorganisms and their cellular interactions, the antibody dependent defense and the susceptibility of individual organs bringing the manifestation of the diseases were explored. Lastly, we provided a discussion on the immune trail path of pathogenesis from entry to exit to narrate the similarities and dissimilarities among various hemorrhagic fevers mentioned above, in order to outline future possibilities of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of coinfections, with special reference to endemic areas.
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28
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Pawar AD, Verma D, Raman R, Sharma Y, Chary KVR. 1H, 13C and 15N NMR assignments of a bacterial immunoglobulin-like domain (group 2) of a protein of a bacterium Paenarthrobacter aurescens TC1. BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS 2017; 11:203-206. [PMID: 28593559 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-017-9748-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The bacterial immunoglobulin-like (Big) domain is one of the prevalent domain types, which facilitates cell-cell adhesion by assembling into multi-domain architectures. We selected a four Big_2 domain protein (named 'Arig') from a Gram positive, Paenarthrobacter aurescens TC1 (known earlier as Arthrobacter aurescens TC1). In an attempt to characterize structural and ligand-binding features of individual Big_2 domains, we have cloned, overexpressed, isolated and purified the second Big_2 domain of Arig along with a few of its adjacent Big_2 domain residues (residue 143 to 269) referred to as 'Arig2'. The 13C/15N-doubly-labeled His-tagged Arig2 (133 residues long) showed an ordered conformation as revealed by the well dispersed 2D [15N-1H]-HSQC spectrum. Subsequently, a suite of heteronuclear 3D NMR experiments has enabled almost complete 1H, 13C and 15N NMR resonance assignments of Arig2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmita D Pawar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Deepshikha Verma
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai, 400005, India
- Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 21, Brindavan Colony, Narsingi, Hyderabad, 500075, India
| | - Rajeev Raman
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Yogendra Sharma
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
| | - Kandala V R Chary
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai, 400005, India.
- Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 21, Brindavan Colony, Narsingi, Hyderabad, 500075, India.
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29
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Siqueira GH, de Souza GO, Heinemann MB, Vasconcellos SA, Nascimento ALTO. The role of Lsa23 to mediate the interaction of Leptospira interrogans with the terminal complement components pathway. Microb Pathog 2017; 112:182-189. [PMID: 28963011 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2017.09.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a severe worldwide zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. It has been demonstrated that pathogenic leptospires are resistant to the bactericidal activity of normal human serum while saprophytic strains are susceptible. Pathogenic strains have the ability to bind soluble complement regulators and these activities are thought to contribute to bacterial immune evasion. One strategy used by some pathogens to evade the complement cascade, which is not well explored, is to block the terminal pathway. We have, thus, examined whether leptospires are able to interact with components of the terminal complement pathway. ELISA screening using anti-leptospires serum has shown that the pathogenic, virulent strain L. interrogans L1-130 can bind to immobilized human C8 (1 μg). However, virulent and saprophyte L. biflexa strains showed the ability to interact with C8 and C9, when these components were employed at physiological concentration (50 μg/mL), but the virulent strain seemed more competent. Lsa23, a putative leptospiral adhesin only present in pathogenic strains, interacts with C8 and C9 in a dose-dependent mode, suggesting that this protein could mediate the binding of virulent Leptospira with these components. To our knowledge, this is the first work reporting the binding of Leptospira to C8 and C9 terminal complement components, suggesting that the inhibition of this pathway is part of the strategy used by leptospires to evade the innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela H Siqueira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gisele O de Souza
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas do VPS, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, USP, Avenida Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos B Heinemann
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas do VPS, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, USP, Avenida Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvio A Vasconcellos
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas do VPS, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, USP, Avenida Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana L T O Nascimento
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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30
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Evangelista KV, Lourdault K, Matsunaga J, Haake DA. Immunoprotective properties of recombinant LigA and LigB in a hamster model of acute leptospirosis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180004. [PMID: 28704385 PMCID: PMC5509140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [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: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis and is considered a major public health problem worldwide. Currently, there is no widely available vaccine against leptospirosis for use in humans. A purified, recombinant subunit vaccine that includes the last six immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) domains of the leptospiral protein LigA (LigA7'-13) protects against lethal infection but not renal colonization after challenge by Leptospira interrogans. In this study, we examined whether the addition of the first seven Ig-like domains of LigB (LigB0-7) to LigA7'-13, can enhance immune protection and confer sterilizing immunity in the Golden Syrian hamster model of acute leptospirosis. Hamsters were subcutaneously immunized with soluble, recombinant LigA7'-13, LigB0-7, or a combination of LigA7'-13 and LigB0-7 in Freund's adjuvant. Immunization with Lig proteins generated a strong humoral immune response with high titers of IgG that recognized homologous protein, and cross-reacted with the heterologous protein as assessed by ELISA. LigA7'-13 alone, or in combination with LigB0-7, protected all hamsters from intraperitoneal challenge with a lethal dose of L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130. However, bacteria were recovered from the kidneys of all animals. Of eight animals immunized with LigB0-7, only three survived Leptospira challenge, one of which lacked renal colonization and had antibodies to native LigB by immunoblot. In addition, sera from two of the three LigB0-7 immunized survivors cross-reacted with LigA11-13, a region of LigA that is sufficient for protection. In summary, we confirmed that LigA7'-13 protects hamsters from death but not infection, and immunization with LigB0-7, either alone or in combination with LigA7'-13, did not confer sterilizing immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen V. Evangelista
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Kristel Lourdault
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - James Matsunaga
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - David A. Haake
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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31
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Hsieh CL, Tseng A, He H, Kuo CJ, Wang X, Chang YF. Leptospira Immunoglobulin-Like Protein B Interacts with the 20th Exon of Human Tropoelastin Contributing to Leptospiral Adhesion to Human Lung Cells. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:163. [PMID: 28536676 PMCID: PMC5422739 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospira immunoglobulin-like protein B (LigB), a surface adhesin, is capable of mediating the attachment of pathogenic leptospira to the host through interaction with various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Human tropoelastin (HTE), the building block of elastin, confers resilience and elasticity to lung, and other tissues. Previously identified Ig-like domains of LigB, including LigB4 and LigB12, bind to HTE, which is likely to promote Leptospira adhesion to lung tissue. However, the molecular mechanism that mediates the LigB-HTE interaction is unclear. In this study, the LigB-binding site on HTE was further pinpointed to a N-terminal region of the 20th exon of HTE (HTE20N). Alanine mutants of basic and aromatic residues on HTE20N significantly reduced binding to the LigB. Additionally, HTE-binding site was narrowed down to the first β-sheet of LigB12. On this binding surface, residues F1054, D1061, A1065, and D1066 were critical for the association with HTE. Most importantly, the recombinant HTE truncates could diminish the binding of LigB to human lung fibroblasts (WI-38) by 68%, and could block the association of LigA-expressing L. biflexa to lung cells by 61%. These findings should expand our understanding of leptospiral pathogenesis, particularly in pulmonary manifestations of leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Lin Hsieh
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
| | - Andrew Tseng
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
| | - Hongxuan He
- National Research Center for Wildlife Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Chih-Jung Kuo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing UniversityTaichung, Taiwan
| | - Xuannian Wang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA.,Research Center for Biotechnology, Xinxiang UniversityXinxiang, China
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
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32
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Salazar N, Souza MCLD, Biasioli AG, Silva LBD, Barbosa AS. The multifaceted roles of Leptospira enolase. Res Microbiol 2016; 168:157-164. [PMID: 27989763 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2016.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A previous study had demonstrated that Leptospira enolase is secreted extracellularly by a yet unknown mechanism and reassociates with the bacterial membrane. Surface-anchored leptospiral enolase displays plasminogen binding activity. In this work, we explored the consequences of this interaction and also assessed whether Leptospira enolase might display additional moonlighting functions by interacting with other host effector proteins. We first demonstrated that enolase-bound plasminogen is converted to its active form, plasmin. The protease plasmin targets human fibrinogen and vitronectin, but not the complement proteins C3b and C5. Leptospira enolase also acts as an immune evasion protein by interacting with the negative complement regulators C4b binding protein and factor H. Once bound to enolase, both regulators remain functional as cofactors of factor I, mediating cleavage of C4b and C3b. In conclusion, enolase may facilitate leptospiral survival and dissemination, thus contributing to bacterial virulence. The identification and characterization of moonlighting proteins is a growing field of bacterial pathogenesis, as these multifaceted proteins may represent potential future therapeutic targets to fight bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Salazar
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Amanda Gameiro Biasioli
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Ludmila Bezerra da Silva
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Angela Silva Barbosa
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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33
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Hsieh CL, Chang E, Tseng A, Ptak C, Wu LC, Su CL, McDonough SP, Lin YP, Chang YF. Leptospira Immunoglobulin-Like Protein B (LigB) Binds to Both the C-Terminal 23 Amino Acids of Fibrinogen αC Domain and Factor XIII: Insight into the Mechanism of LigB-Mediated Blockage of Fibrinogen α Chain Cross-Linking. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004974. [PMID: 27622634 PMCID: PMC5021285 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The coagulation system provides a primitive but effective defense against hemorrhage. Soluble fibrinogen (Fg) monomers, composed of α, β and γ chains, are recruited to provide structural support for the formation of a hemostatic plug. Fg binds to platelets and is processed into a cross-linked fibrin polymer by the enzymatic clotting factors, thrombin and Factor XIII (FXIII). The newly formed fibrin-platelet clot can act as barrier to protect against pathogens from entering the bloodstream. Further, injuries caused by bacterial infections can be confined to the initial wound site. Many pathogenic bacteria have Fg-binding adhesins that can circumvent the coagulation pathway and allow the bacteria to sidestep containment. Fg expression is upregulated during lung infection providing an attachment surface for bacteria with the ability to produce Fg-binding adhesins. Fg binding by leptospira might play a crucial factor in Leptospira-associated pulmonary hemorrhage, the main factor contributing to lethality in severe cases of leptospirosis. The 12th domain of Leptospira immunoglobulin-like protein B (LigB12), a leptospiral adhesin, interacts with the C-terminus of FgαC (FgαCC). In this study, the binding site for LigB12 was mapped to the final 23 amino acids at the C-terminal end of FgαCC (FgαCC8). The association of FgαCC8 with LigB12 (ELISA, KD = 0.76 μM; SPR, KD = 0.96 μM) was reduced by mutations of both charged residues (R608, R611 and H614 from FgαCC8; D1061 from LigB12) and hydrophobic residues (I613 from FgαCC8; F1054 and A1065 from LigB12). Additionally, LigB12 bound strongly to FXIII and also inhibited fibrin formation, suggesting that LigB can disrupt coagulation by suppressing FXIII activity. Here, the detailed binding mechanism of a leptospiral adhesin to a host hemostatic factor is characterized for the first time and should provide better insight into the pathogenesis of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., has been increasingly recognized as an emerging zoonosis worldwide. In human cases, clinical presentation can vary from a mild flu-like syndrome to severe multi-organ failure including hepatitis, nephritis and occasionally meningitis. Particularly, pulmonary hemorrhage has become one of the major factors leading to fatality. The host coagulation system normally can be activated to confine damage caused by bacteria. However, this spirochete has developed several virulence proteins to manipulate hemostatic factors including fibrinogen (Fg). Previously, we had observed that Leptospira immunoglobulin-like protein B (LigB) can bind to Fg and inhibit fibrin clot formation. In this study, the LigB binding site on fibrinogen was fine-mapped. The key amino acids contributing to this strong pathogen-host interaction were also identified. In addition, LigB bound to factor XIII and further interfered with the cross-linking of Fg. For the first time, a potential mechanism of leptospiral adhesin binding to fibrinogen was revealed, which should provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis of leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Lin Hsieh
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Eric Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Andrew Tseng
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Christopher Ptak
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Li-Chen Wu
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Chun-Li Su
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Sean P. McDonough
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Disease, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Interactions of surface-displayed glycolytic enzymes of Mycoplasma pneumoniae with components of the human extracellular matrix. Int J Med Microbiol 2016; 306:675-685. [PMID: 27616280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a major cause of community-acquired respiratory infections worldwide. Due to the strongly reduced genome, the number of virulence factors expressed by this cell wall-less pathogen is limited. To further understand the processes during host colonization, we investigated the interactions of the previously confirmed surface-located glycolytic enzymes of M. pneumoniae (pyruvate dehydrogenase A-C [PdhA-C], glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GapA], lactate dehydrogenase [Ldh], phosphoglycerate mutase [Pgm], pyruvate kinase [Pyk] and transketolase [Tkt]) to the human extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins fibrinogen (Fn), fibronectin (Fc), lactoferrin (Lf), laminin (Ln) and vitronectin (Vc), respectively. Concentration-dependent interactions between Fn and Vc and all eight recombinant proteins derived from glycolytic enzymes, between Ln and PdhB-C, GapA, Ldh, Pgm, Pyk and Tkt, between Lf and PdhA-C, GapA and Pyk, and between Fc and PdhC and GapA were demonstrated. In most cases, these associations are significantly influenced by ionic forces and by polyclonal sera against recombinant proteins. In immunoblotting, the complex of human plasminogen, activator (tissue-type or urokinase plasminogen activator) and glycolytic enzyme was not able to degrade Fc, Lf and Ln, respectively. In contrast, degradation of Vc was confirmed in the presence of all eight enzymes tested. Our data suggest that the multifaceted associations of surface-localized glycolytic enzymes play a potential role in the adhesion and invasion processes during infection of human respiratory mucosa by M. pneumoniae.
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Castiblanco-Valencia MM, Fraga TR, Breda LCD, Vasconcellos SA, Figueira CP, Picardeau M, Wunder E, Ko AI, Barbosa AS, Isaac L. Acquisition of negative complement regulators by the saprophyte Leptospira biflexa expressing LigA or LigB confers enhanced survival in human serum. Immunol Lett 2016; 173:61-8. [PMID: 26976804 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2016.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Leptospiral immunoglobulin-like (Lig) proteins are surface exposed molecules present in pathogenic but not in saprophytic Leptospira species. We have previously shown that Lig proteins interact with the soluble complement regulators Factor H (FH), FH like-1 (FHL-1), FH related-1 (FHR-1) and C4b Binding Protein (C4BP). In this study, we used the saprophyte L. biflexa serovar Patoc as a surrogate host to address the specific role of LigA and LigB proteins in leptospiral complement evasion. L. biflexa expressing LigA or LigB was able to acquire FH and C4BP. Bound complement regulators retained their cofactor activities of FI in the proteolytic cleavage of C3b and C4b. Moreover, heterologous expression of ligA and ligB genes in the saprophyte L. biflexa enhanced bacterial survival in human serum. Complement deposition on lig-transformed L. biflexa was assessed by flow cytometry analysis. With regard to MAC deposition, L. biflexa expressing LigA or LigB presented an intermediate profile: MAC deposition levels were greater than those found in the pathogenic L. interrogans, but lower than those observed for L. biflexa wildtype. In conclusion, Lig proteins contribute to in vitro control of complement activation on the leptospiral surface, promoting an increased bacterial survival in human serum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatiana R Fraga
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leandro C D Breda
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Elsio Wunder
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale University, EUA, CT, USA
| | - Albert I Ko
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale University, EUA, CT, USA
| | - Angela S Barbosa
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lourdes Isaac
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Fernandes LG, Siqueira GH, Teixeira ARF, Silva LP, Figueredo JM, Cosate MR, Vieira ML, Nascimento ALTO. Leptospira spp.: Novel insights into host-pathogen interactions. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2015; 176:50-7. [PMID: 26727033 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. It is an important infectious disease that affects humans and animals. The disease causes economic losses as it affects livestock, with decreased milk production and death. Our group is investigating the genome sequences of L. interrogans targeting surface-exposed proteins because, due to their location, these proteins are capable to interact with several host components that could allow establishment of the infection. These interactions may involve adhesion of the bacteria to extracellular matrix (ECM) components and, hence, help bacterial colonization. The bacteria could also react with the host fibrinolytic system and/or with the coagulation cascade components, such as, plasminogen (PLG) and fibrinogen (Fg), respectively. The binding with the first system generates plasmin (PLA), increasing the proteolytic power of the bacteria, while the second interferes with clotting in a thrombin-catalyzed reaction, which may promote hemorrhage foci and increase bacterial dissemination. Interaction with the complement system negative regulators may help bacteria to evade the host immune system, facilitating the invasion. This work compiles the main described leptospiral proteins that could act as adhesins, as PLG and fibrinogen receptors and as complement regulator binding proteins. We present models in which we suggest possible mechanisms of how leptospires might colonize and invade host tissues, causing the disease. Understanding leptospiral pathogenesis will help to identify antigen candidates that would contribute to the development of more effective vaccines and diagnostic tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis G Fernandes
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gabriela H Siqueira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Aline R F Teixeira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas P Silva
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jupciana M Figueredo
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria R Cosate
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Monica L Vieira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana L T O Nascimento
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Forster KM, Hartwig DD, Oliveira TL, Bacelo KL, Schuch R, Amaral MG, Dellagostin OA. DNA prime-protein boost based vaccination with a conserved region of leptospiral immunoglobulin-like A and B proteins enhances protection against leptospirosis. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2015; 110:989-95. [PMID: 26676320 PMCID: PMC4708018 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760150222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of
theLeptospira genus. Vaccination with bacterins has severe
limitations. Here, we evaluated the N-terminal region of the leptospiral
immunoglobulin-like B protein (LigBrep) as a vaccine candidate against leptospirosis
using immunisation strategies based on DNA prime-protein boost, DNA vaccine, and
subunit vaccine. Upon challenge with a virulent strain ofLeptospira
interrogans, the prime-boost and DNA vaccine approaches induced
significant protection in hamsters, as well as a specific IgG antibody response and
sterilising immunity. Although vaccination with recombinant fragment of LigBrep also
produced a strong antibody response, it was not immunoprotective. These results
highlight the potential of LigBrep as a candidate antigen for an effective vaccine
against leptospirosis and emphasise the use of the DNA prime-protein boost as an
important strategy for vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine M Forster
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Daiane D Hartwig
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Thaís L Oliveira
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Kátia L Bacelo
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Rodrigo Schuch
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Marta G Amaral
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Odir A Dellagostin
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
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Mei S, Zhang J, Zhang X, Tu X. Solution structure of leptospiral LigA4 Big domain. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 467:288-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.09.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Breda LCD, Hsieh CL, Castiblanco Valencia MM, da Silva LB, Barbosa AS, Blom AM, Yung-Fu C, Isaac L. Fine Mapping of the Interaction between C4b-Binding Protein and Outer Membrane Proteins LigA and LigB of Pathogenic Leptospira interrogans. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0004192. [PMID: 26517116 PMCID: PMC4627802 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The complement system consists of more than 40 proteins that participate in the inflammatory response and in pathogen killing. Complement inhibitors are necessary to avoid the excessive consumption and activation of this system on host cells. Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by spirochetes from the genus Leptospira. Pathogenic leptospires are able to escape from complement activation by binding to host complement inhibitors Factor H [FH] and C4b-binding protein (C4BP) while non-pathogenic leptospires are rapidly killed in the presence of fresh serum. In this study, we demonstrate that complement control protein domains (CCP) 7 and 8 of C4BP α-chain interact with the outer membrane proteins LcpA, LigA and LigB from the pathogenic leptospire L. interrogans. The interaction between C4BP and LcpA, LigA and LigB is sensitive to ionic strength and inhibited by heparin. We fine mapped the LigA and LigB domains involved in its binding to C4BP and heparin and found that both interactions are mediated through the bacterial immunoglobulin-like (Big) domains 7 and 8 (LigA7-8 and LigB7-8) of both LigA and LigB and also through LigB9-10. Therefore, C4BP and heparin may share the same binding sites on Lig proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro C. D. Breda
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ching-Lin Hsieh
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Anna M. Blom
- Department of Translational Medicine, Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Chang Yung-Fu
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Lourdes Isaac
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Teixeira AF, de Morais ZM, Kirchgatter K, Romero EC, Vasconcellos SA, Nascimento ALTO. Features of two new proteins with OmpA-like domains identified in the genome sequences of Leptospira interrogans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122762. [PMID: 25849456 PMCID: PMC4388678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an acute febrile disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. It is considered an important re-emerging infectious disease that affects humans worldwide. The knowledge about the mechanisms by which pathogenic leptospires invade and colonize the host remains limited since very few virulence factors contributing to the pathogenesis of the disease have been identified. Here, we report the identification and characterization of two new leptospiral proteins with OmpA-like domains. The recombinant proteins, which exhibit extracellular matrix-binding properties, are called Lsa46 - LIC13479 and Lsa77 - LIC10050 (Leptospiral surface adhesins of 46 and 77 kDa, respectively). Attachment of Lsa46 and Lsa77 to laminin was specific, dose dependent and saturable, with KD values of 24.3 ± 17.0 and 53.0 ± 17.5 nM, respectively. Lsa46 and Lsa77 also bind plasma fibronectin, and both adhesins are plasminogen (PLG)-interacting proteins, capable of generating plasmin (PLA) and as such, increase the proteolytic ability of leptospires. The proteins corresponding to Lsa46 and Lsa77 are present in virulent L. interrogans L1-130 and in saprophyte L. biflexa Patoc 1 strains, as detected by immunofluorescence. The adhesins are recognized by human leptospirosis serum samples at the onset and convalescent phases of the disease, suggesting that they are expressed during infection. Taken together, our data could offer valuable information to the understanding of leptospiral pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline F. Teixeira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia,Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Zenaide M. de Morais
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Nucleo de Estudos em Malária, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias - Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliete C. Romero
- Centro de Bacteriologia, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvio A. Vasconcellos
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Lucia T. O. Nascimento
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia,Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Zeng LB, Zhuang XR, Huang LL, Zhang YY, Chen CY, Dong K, Zhang Y, Cui ZL, Ding XL, Chang YF, Guo XK, Zhu YZ. Comparative subproteome analysis of three representative Leptospira interrogans vaccine strains reveals cross-reactive antigens and novel virulence determinants. J Proteomics 2015; 112:27-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2014.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Abstract
The mechanisms of disease pathogenesis in leptospirosis are poorly defined. Recent developments in the application of genetic tools in the study of Leptospira have advanced our understanding by allowing the assessment of mutants in animal models. As a result, a small number of essential virulence factors have been identified, though most do not have a clearly defined function. Significant advances have also been made in the in vitro characterization of leptospiral interaction with host structures, including extracellular matrix proteins (such as laminin, elastin, fibronectin, collagens), proteins related to hemostasis (fibrinogen, plasmin), and soluble mediators of complement resistance (factor H, C4b-binding protein), although none of these in vitro findings has been translated to the host animal. Binding to host structures may permit colonization of the host, prevention of blood clotting may contribute to hemorrhage, while interaction with complement resistance mediators may contribute to survival in serum. While not a classical intracellular pathogen, the interaction of leptospires and phagocytic cells appears complex, with bacteria surviving uptake and promoting apoptosis; mutants relating to these processes (such as cell invasion and oxidative stress resistance) are attenuated in vivo. Another feature of leptospiral biology is the high degree of functional redundancy and the surprising lack of attenuation of mutants in what appear to be certain virulence factors, such as LipL32 and LigB. While many advances have been made, there remains a lack of understanding of how Leptospira causes tissue pathology. It is likely that leptospires have many novel pathogenesis mechanisms that are yet to be identified.
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Pathogenic Leptospira species acquire factor H and vitronectin via the surface protein LcpA. Infect Immun 2014; 83:888-97. [PMID: 25534939 DOI: 10.1128/iai.02844-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon infection, pathogenic Leptospira species bind several complement regulators in order to overcome host innate immunity. We previously characterized a 20-kDa leptospiral surface protein which interacts with C4b binding protein (C4BP): leptospiral complement regulator-acquiring protein A (LcpA). Here we show that LcpA also interacts with human factor H (FH), which remains functionally active once bound to the protein. Antibodies directed against short consensus repeat 20 (SCR20) inhibited binding of FH to LcpA by approximately 90%, thus confirming that this particular domain is involved in the interaction. We have also shown for the first time that leptospires bind human vitronectin and that the interaction is mediated by LcpA. Coincubation with heparin blocked LcpA-vitronectin interaction in a dose-dependent manner, strongly suggesting that binding may occur through the heparin binding domains of vitronectin. LcpA also bound to the terminal pathway component C9 and inhibited Zn(2+)-induced polymerization and membrane attack complex (MAC) formation. Competitive binding assays indicated that LcpA interacts with C4BP, FH, and vitronectin through distinct sites. Taken together, our findings indicate that LcpA may play a role in leptospiral immune evasion.
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Mei S, Zhang J, Zhang X, Tu X. Solution structure of a bacterial immunoglobulin-like domain of the outer membrane protein (LigB) from Leptospira. Proteins 2014; 83:195-200. [PMID: 25393078 DOI: 10.1002/prot.24723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Leptospiral immunoglobulin-like (Lig) proteins are surface proteins expressed in pathogenic strains of Leptospira. LigB, an outer membrane protein containing tandem repeats of bacterial Ig-like (Big) domains and a no-repeat tail, has been identified as a virulence factor involved in adhesion of pathogenic Leptospira interrogans to host cells. A Big domain of LigB, LigBCen2R, was reported previously to bind the GBD domain of fibronectin, suggesting its important role in leptospiral infections. In this study, we determined the solution structure of LigBCen2R by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. LigBCen2R adopts a canonical immunoglobulin-like fold which is comprised of a beta-sandwich of ten strands in three sheets. We indicated that LigBCen2R is able to bind to Ca(2+) with a high affinity by isothermal titration calorimetry assay. NMR perturbation experiment identified a number of residues responsible for Ca(2+) binding. Structural comparison of it with other Big domains demonstrates that they share a similar fold pattern, but vary in some structural characters. Since Lig proteins play a vital role in the infection to host cells, our study will contribute a structural basis to understand the interactions between Leptospira and host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Mei
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, People's Republic of China
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Salazar N, Castiblanco-Valencia MM, da Silva LB, de Castro ÍA, Monaris D, Masuda HP, Barbosa AS, Arêas APM. Staphylococcus aureus manganese transport protein C (MntC) is an extracellular matrix- and plasminogen-binding protein. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112730. [PMID: 25409527 PMCID: PMC4237344 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus – particularly nosocomial infections - represent a great concern. Usually, the early stage of pathogenesis consists on asymptomatic nasopharynx colonization, which could result in dissemination to other mucosal niches or invasion of sterile sites, such as blood. This pathogenic route depends on scavenging of nutrients as well as binding to and disrupting extracellular matrix (ECM). Manganese transport protein C (MntC), a conserved manganese-binding protein, takes part in this infectious scenario as an ion-scavenging factor and surprisingly as an ECM and coagulation cascade binding protein, as revealed in this work. This study showed a marked ability of MntC to bind to several ECM and coagulation cascade components, including laminin, collagen type IV, cellular and plasma fibronectin, plasminogen and fibrinogen by ELISA. The MntC binding to plasminogen appears to be related to the presence of surface-exposed lysines, since previous incubation with an analogue of lysine residue, ε-aminocaproic acid, or increasing ionic strength affected the interaction between MntC and plasminogen. MntC-bound plasminogen was converted to active plasmin in the presence of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). The newly released plasmin, in turn, acted in the cleavage of the α and β chains of fibrinogen. In conclusion, we describe a novel function for MntC that may help staphylococcal mucosal colonization and establishment of invasive disease, through the interaction with ECM and coagulation cascade host proteins. These data suggest that this potential virulence factor could be an adequate candidate to compose an anti-staphylococcal human vaccine formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Salazar
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABCSanto André, Brazil
| | | | | | - Íris Arantes de Castro
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denize Monaris
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hana Paula Masuda
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABCSanto André, Brazil
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46
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Evangelista KV, Hahn B, Wunder EA, Ko AI, Haake DA, Coburn J. Identification of cell-binding adhesins of Leptospira interrogans. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3215. [PMID: 25275630 PMCID: PMC4183468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a globally distributed bacterial infectious disease caused by pathogenic members of the genus Leptospira. Infection can lead to illness ranging from mild and non-specific to severe, with jaundice, kidney and liver dysfunction, and widespread endothelial damage. The adhesion of pathogenic Leptospira species (spp.), the causative agent of leptospirosis, to host tissue components is necessary for infection and pathogenesis. While it is well-established that extracellular matrix (ECM) components play a role in the interaction of the pathogen with host molecules, we have shown that pathogenic Leptospira interrogans binds to host cells more efficiently than to ECM components. Using in vitro phage display to select for phage clones that bind to EA.hy926 endothelial cells, we identified the putative lipoproteins LIC10508 and LIC13411, and the conserved hypothetical proteins LIC12341 and LIC11574, as candidate L. interrogans sv. Copenhageni st. Fiocruz L1-130 adhesins. Recombinant LIC11574, but not its L. biflexa homologue LBF1629, exhibited dose-dependent binding to both endothelial and epithelial cells. In addition, LIC11574 and LIC13411 bind to VE-cadherin, an endothelial cell receptor for L. interrogans. Extraction of bacteria with the non-ionic detergent Triton X-114 resulted in partitioning of the candidate adhesins to the detergent fraction, a likely indication that these proteins are outer membrane localized. All candidate adhesins were recognized by sera obtained from leptospirosis patients but not by sera from healthy individuals as assessed by western blot. This work has identified bacterial adhesins that are potentially involved in L. interrogans infection of the mammalian host, and through cadherin binding, may contribute to dissemination and vascular damage. Our findings may be of value in leptospirosis control and prevention, with the bacterial adhesins potentially serving as targets for development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen V. Evangelista
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Beth Hahn
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Elsio A. Wunder
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Albert I. Ko
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - David A. Haake
- Division of Infectious Diseases, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Departments of Medicine, Urology, and Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Jenifer Coburn
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Larentis AL, Nicolau JFMQ, Esteves GDS, Vareschini DT, de Almeida FVR, dos Reis MG, Galler R, Medeiros MA. Evaluation of pre-induction temperature, cell growth at induction and IPTG concentration on the expression of a leptospiral protein in E. coli using shaking flasks and microbioreactor. BMC Res Notes 2014; 7:671. [PMID: 25252618 PMCID: PMC4190419 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-7-671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leptospirosis is a zoonose that is increasingly endemic in built-up areas, especially where there are communities living in precarious housing with poor or non-existent sanitation infrastructure. Leptospirosis can kill, for its symptoms are easily confused with those of other diseases. As such, a rapid diagnosis is required so it can be treated effectively. A test for leptospirosis diagnosis using Leptospira Immunoglobulin-like (Lig) proteins is currently at final validation at Fiocruz. Results In this work, the process for expression of LigB (131-645aa) in E. coli BL21 (DE3)Star™/pAE was evaluated. No significant difference was found for the experiments at two different pre-induction temperatures (28°C and 37°C). Then, the strain was cultivated at 37°C until IPTG addition, followed by induction at 28°C, thereby reducing the overall process time. Under this condition, expression was assessed using central composite design for two variables: cell growth at which LigB (131-645aa) was induced (absorbance at 600 nm between 0.75 and 2.0) and inducer concentration (0.1 mM to 1 mM IPTG). Both variables influenced cell growth and protein expression. Induction at the final exponential growth phase in shaking flasks with Absind
= 2.0 yielded higher cell concentrations and LigB (131-645aa) productivities. IPTG concentration had a negative effect and could be ten-fold lower than the concentration commonly used in molecular biology (1 mM), while keeping expression at similar levels and inducing less damage to cell growth. The expression of LigB (131-645aa) was associated with cell growth. The induction at the end of the exponential phase using 0.1 mM IPTG at 28°C for 4 h was also performed in microbioreactors, reaching higher cell densities and 970 mg/L protein. LigB (131-645aa) was purified by nickel affinity chromatography with 91% homogeneity. Conclusions It was possible to assess the effects and interactions of the induction variables on the expression of soluble LigB (131-645aa) using experimental design, with a view to improving process productivity and reducing the production costs of a rapid test for leptospirosis diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Leites Larentis
- Fiocruz, Bio-Manguinhos, Vice Directory of Technological Development, Laboratory of Recombinant Technologies (LATER), Av, Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21,040-360, Brazil.
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Ptak CP, Hsieh CL, Lin YP, Maltsev AS, Raman R, Sharma Y, Oswald RE, Chang YF. NMR solution structure of the terminal immunoglobulin-like domain from the leptospira host-interacting outer membrane protein, LigB. Biochemistry 2014; 53:5249-60. [PMID: 25068811 PMCID: PMC4139157 DOI: 10.1021/bi500669u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
A number of surface proteins specific to pathogenic strains of Leptospira have been identified. The Lig protein family has shown promise as a marker in typing leptospiral isolates for pathogenesis and as an antigen in vaccines. We used NMR spectroscopy to solve the solution structure of the twelfth immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) repeat domain from LigB (LigB-12). The fold is similar to that of other bacterial Ig-like domains and comprised mainly of β-strands that form a β-sandwich based on a Greek-key folding arrangement. Based on sequence analysis and conservation of structurally important residues, homology models for the other LigB Ig-like domains were generated. The set of LigB models illustrates the electrostatic differences between the domains as well as the possible interactions between neighboring domains. Understanding the structure of the extracellular portion of LigB and related proteins is important for developing diagnostic methods and new therapeutics directed toward leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P Ptak
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences and ‡Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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Lin YP, Benoit V, Yang X, Martínez-Herranz R, Pal U, Leong JM. Strain-specific variation of the decorin-binding adhesin DbpA influences the tissue tropism of the lyme disease spirochete. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004238. [PMID: 25079227 PMCID: PMC4117581 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease spirochetes demonstrate strain- and species-specific differences in tissue tropism. For example, the three major Lyme disease spirochete species, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and B. afzelii, are each most commonly associated with overlapping but distinct spectra of clinical manifestations. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the most common Lyme spirochete in the U.S., is closely associated with arthritis. The attachment of microbial pathogens to cells or to the extracellular matrix of target tissues may promote colonization and disease, and the Lyme disease spirochete encodes several surface proteins, including the decorin- and dermatan sulfate-binding adhesin DbpA, which vary among strains and have been postulated to contribute to strain-specific differences in tissue tropism. DbpA variants differ in their ability to bind to its host ligands and to cultured mammalian cells. To directly test whether variation in dbpA influences tissue tropism, we analyzed murine infection by isogenic B. burgdorferi strains that encode different dbpA alleles. Compared to dbpA alleles of B. afzelii strain VS461 or B. burgdorferi strain N40-D10/E9, dbpA of B. garinii strain PBr conferred the greatest decorin- and dermatan sulfate-binding activity, promoted the greatest colonization at the inoculation site and heart, and caused the most severe carditis. The dbpA of strain N40-D10/E9 conferred the weakest decorin- and GAG-binding activity, but the most robust joint colonization and was the only dbpA allele capable of conferring significant joint disease. Thus, dbpA mediates colonization and disease by the Lyme disease spirochete in an allele-dependent manner and may contribute to the etiology of distinct clinical manifestations associated with different Lyme disease strains. This study provides important support for the long-postulated model that strain-specific variations of Borrelia surface proteins influence tissue tropism. Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, is caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium infects the skin at the site of the tick bite and then can spread to other tissues, such as the heart, joints or nervous system, causing carditis, arthritis or neurologic disease. To colonize human tissues, the pathogen produces surface proteins that promote bacterial attachment to these sites. For example, DbpA binds to decorin, a component of human tissue. Different Lyme disease strains differ in the particular tissues they colonize and the disease they cause, but we do not understand why. Different strains also make distinct versions of DbpA that bind decorin differently, so variation of DbpA might contribute to strain-to-strain variation in clinical manifestations. To test this, we infected mice with Lyme disease strains that were identical except for the particular DbpA variant they produced. We found that the strains colonized different tissues and caused different diseases, such as arthritis or carditis. These results provide the first solid evidence that variation of an outer surface protein, in this case DbpA, influences what tissues are most affected during Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Pin Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Vivian Benoit
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Raúl Martínez-Herranz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John M. Leong
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Oliveira R, Domingos RF, de Morais ZM, Vasconcellos SA, Alves IJ, Romero EC, Nascimento ALTO. Intermediate and C-terminal regions of leptospiral adhesin Lsa66 are responsible for binding with plasminogen and extracellular matrix components. J Med Microbiol 2014; 63:1119-1130. [PMID: 24928214 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.078378-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, a worldwide zoonotic infection, is an important human and veterinary health problem. We have previously identified a leptospiral multipurpose adhesin, Lsa66, capable of binding extracellular matrix (ECM) components and plasminogen (PLG). In this work, we report the cloning, expression, purification and characterization of three fragments derived from the full-length Lsa66: N-terminal, intermediate and C-terminal regions. We employed Escherichia coli BL21-SI as expression cells. The recombinant fragments tagged with N-terminal His6 were purified by metal-charged chromatography to major protein bands that were recognized by anti-His-tag mAbs. The recombinant fragments were evaluated for their capacity to attach to ECM components and to PLG. The intermediate region bound to laminin, plasma fibronectin and PLG. Laminin also bound to the C-terminal region. Antibodies in leptospirosis-positive serum samples recognized Lsa66, being the immune epitopes located at the N-terminal and intermediate fragments. The data confirm that Lsa66 is expressed during infection and that this protein might have a role in bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosane Oliveira
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Renan F Domingos
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Zenaide M de Morais
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas do VPS, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, USP, Avenida Prof. Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvio A Vasconcellos
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas do VPS, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, USP, Avenida Prof. Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ivy J Alves
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Laboratório Regional de Santos, Núcleo de Ciências Biomédicas, Rua Silva Jardim, 90, 11015-020, Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliete C Romero
- Centro de Bacteriologia, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 355, 01246-902 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana L T O Nascimento
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1730, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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