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Xi Y, Li X, Liu L, Xiu F, Yi X, Chen H, You X. Sneaky tactics: Ingenious immune evasion mechanisms of Bartonella. Virulence 2024; 15:2322961. [PMID: 38443331 PMCID: PMC10936683 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2322961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative Bartonella species are facultative intracellular bacteria that can survive in the harsh intracellular milieu of host cells. They have evolved strategies to evade detection and degradation by the host immune system, which ensures their proliferation in the host. Following infection, Bartonella alters the initial immunogenic surface-exposed proteins to evade immune recognition via antigen or phase variation. The diverse lipopolysaccharide structures of certain Bartonella species allow them to escape recognition by the host pattern recognition receptors. Additionally, the survival of mature erythrocytes and their resistance to lysosomal fusion further complicate the immune clearance of this species. Certain Bartonella species also evade immune attacks by producing biofilms and anti-inflammatory cytokines and decreasing endothelial cell apoptosis. Overall, these factors create a challenging landscape for the host immune system to rapidly and effectively eradicate the Bartonella species, thereby facilitating the persistence of Bartonella infections and creating a substantial obstacle for therapeutic interventions. This review focuses on the effects of three human-specific Bartonella species, particularly their mechanisms of host invasion and immune escape, to gain new perspectives in the development of effective diagnostic tools, prophylactic measures, and treatment options for Bartonella infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Xi
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Xinru Li
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Feichen Xiu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Xinchao Yi
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Hongliang Chen
- Chenzhou NO.1 People’s Hospital, The Affiliated Chenzhou Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, ChenZhou, China
| | - Xiaoxing You
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
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Lashnits E, Maggi R, Jarskog F, Bradley J, Breitschwerdt E, Frohlich F. Schizophrenia and Bartonella spp. Infection: A Pilot Case-Control Study. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:413-421. [PMID: 33728987 PMCID: PMC8170724 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, infections with emerging zoonotic bacteria of the genus Bartonella have been reported in association with a range of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms. Currently, it remains unknown if Bartonella spp. infection is associated with symptoms of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (SCZ/SAD). The objective of this study was to determine if there is an association between Bartonella species infection and SCZ/SAD. A secondary objective was to determine if SCZ/SAD symptoms were more severe among participants with documented Bartonella spp. infection. Using a case-control study design, 17 cases and 13 controls were evaluated with a series of clinical and cognitive assessments. Blood samples were collected and tested for Bartonella spp. infection using serological, microbiological, and molecular techniques. People with SCZ/SAD were more likely than healthy volunteers to have Bartonella spp. DNA in their bloodstream, with 11 of 17 cases (65%) positive by Bartonella spp. droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). In comparison, only one healthy volunteer was Bartonella spp. ddPCR positive (8%, p = 0.0024). Based on serology, Bartonella spp. exposure was common among people with SCZ/SAD (12 of 17) as well as among healthy volunteers (12 of 13), with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.196). Within the case group of people with SCZ/SAD, there was no significant difference in SCZ/SAD severity scores between people with and without ddPCR evidence of Bartonella spp. infection. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence in support of future investigations that should examine a potential contribution of Bartonella spp. infection to SCZ/SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Lashnits
- Comparative Medicine Institute, Department of Clinical Sciences, Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ricardo Maggi
- Comparative Medicine Institute, Department of Clinical Sciences, Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Fredrik Jarskog
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Julie Bradley
- Comparative Medicine Institute, Department of Clinical Sciences, Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Edward Breitschwerdt
- Comparative Medicine Institute, Department of Clinical Sciences, Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Flavio Frohlich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Carolina Center for Neurostimulation and Neuroscience Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurology and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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The Bartonella autotransporter BafA activates the host VEGF pathway to drive angiogenesis. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3571. [PMID: 32678094 PMCID: PMC7366657 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17391-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria of the genus Bartonella can induce vasoproliferative lesions during infection. The underlying mechanisms are unclear, but involve secretion of an unidentified mitogenic factor. Here, we use functional transposon-mutant screening in Bartonella henselae to identify such factor as a pro-angiogenic autotransporter, called BafA. The passenger domain of BafA induces cell proliferation, tube formation and sprouting of microvessels, and drives angiogenesis in mice. BafA interacts with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 and activates the downstream signaling pathway, suggesting that BafA functions as a VEGF analog. A BafA homolog from a related pathogen, Bartonella quintana, is also functional. Our work unveils the mechanistic basis of vasoproliferative lesions observed in bartonellosis, and we propose BafA as a key pathogenic factor contributing to bacterial spread and host adaptation. Pathogenic bacteria of the genus Bartonella can induce vasoproliferative lesions during infection. Here, Tsukamoto et al. show that this effect is caused by a secreted protein that induces cell proliferation and angiogenesis by acting as an analog of the host’s vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
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Molecular prevalence of Bartonella, Babesia, and hemotropic Mycoplasma species in dogs with hemangiosarcoma from across the United States. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227234. [PMID: 31923195 PMCID: PMC6953799 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a locally invasive and highly metastatic endothelial cell neoplasm, accounts for two-thirds of all cardiac and splenic neoplasms in dogs. Bartonella spp. infection has been reported in association with neoplastic and non-neoplastic vasoproliferative lesions in animals and humans. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in conjunction with two other hemotropic pathogens, Babesia spp. and hemotropic Mycoplasma spp., in tissues and blood samples from 110 dogs with histopathologically diagnosed HSA from throughout the United States. This was a retrospective, observational study using clinical specimens from 110 dogs with HSA banked by the biospecimen repository of the Canine Comparative Oncology and Genomics Consortium. Samples provided for this study from each dog included: fresh frozen HSA tumor tissue (available from n = 100 of the 110 dogs), fresh frozen non-tumor tissue (n = 104), and whole blood and serum samples (n = 108 and 107 respectively). Blood and tissues were tested by qPCR for Bartonella, hemotropic Mycoplasma, and Babesia spp. DNA; serum was tested for Bartonella spp. antibodies. Bartonella spp. DNA was amplified and sequenced from 73% of dogs with HSA (80/110). In contrast, hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. DNA was amplified from a significantly smaller proportion (5%, p<0.0001) and Babesia spp. DNA was not amplified from any dog. Of the 100 HSA tumor samples submitted, 34% were Bartonella PCR positive (32% of splenic tumors, 57% of cardiac tumors, and 17% of other tumor locations). Of 104 non-tumor tissues, 63% were Bartonella PCR positive (56% of spleen samples, 93% of cardiac samples, and 63% of skin/subcutaneous samples). Of dogs with Bartonella positive HSA tumor, 76% were also positive in non-tumor tissue. Bartonella spp. DNA was not PCR amplified from whole blood. This study documented a high prevalence of Bartonella spp. DNA in dogs with HSA from geographically diverse regions of the United States. While 73% of all tissue samples from these dogs were PCR positive for Bartonella DNA, none of the blood samples were, indicating that whole blood samples do not reflect tissue presence of this pathogen. Future studies are needed to further investigate the role of Bartonella spp. in the development of HSA.
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Tay S, Kho K, Wee W, Choo S. Whole-genome sequence analysis and exploration of the zoonotic potential of a rat-borne Bartonella elizabethae. Acta Trop 2016; 155:25-33. [PMID: 26658020 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Bartonella elizabethae has been known to cause endocarditis and neuroretinitis in humans. The genomic features and virulence profiles of a B. elizabethae strain (designated as BeUM) isolated from the spleen of a wild rat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are described in this study. The BeUM strain has a genome size of 1,932,479bp and GC content of 38.3%. There is a high degree of conservation between the genomes of strain BeUM with B. elizabethae type strains (ATCC 49927 and F9251) and a rat-borne strain, Re6043vi. Of 2137 gene clusters identified from B. elizabethae strains, 2064 (96.6%) are indicated as the core gene clusters. Comparative genome analysis of B. elizabethae strains reveals virulence genes which are known in other pathogenic Bartonella species, including VirB2-11, vbhB2-B11, VirD4, trw, vapA2-5, hbpA-E, bepA-F, bepH, badA/vomp/brp, ialB, omp43/89 and korA-B. A putative intact prophage has been identified in the strain BeUM, in addition to a 8kb pathogenicity island. The whole genome analysis supports the zoonotic potential of the rodent-borne B. elizabethae, and provides basis for future functional and pathogenicity studies of B. elizabethae.
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Gilbert SR, Camara J, Camara R, Duffy L, Waites K, Kim H, Zinn K. Contaminated open fracture and crush injury: a murine model. Bone Res 2015; 3:14050. [PMID: 26273534 PMCID: PMC4472147 DOI: 10.1038/boneres.2014.50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern warfare has caused a large number of severe extremity injuries, many of which become infected. In more recent conflicts, a pattern of co-infection with Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has emerged. We attempted to recreate this pattern in an animal model to evaluate the role of vascularity in contaminated open fractures. Historically, it has been observed that infected bones frequently appear hypovascular, but vascularity in association with bone infection has not been examined in animal models. Adult rats underwent femur fracture and muscle crush injury followed by stabilization and bacterial contamination with A. baumannii complex and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Vascularity and perfusion were assessed by microCT angiography and SPECT scanning, respectively, at 1, 2 and 4 weeks after injury. Quantitative bacterial cultures were also obtained. Multi-bacterial infections were successfully created, with methicillin-resistant S. aureus predominating. There was overall increase in blood flow to injured limbs that was markedly greater in bacteria-inoculated limbs. Vessel volume was greater in the infected group. Quadriceps atrophy was seen in both groups, but was greater in the infected group. In this animal model, infected open fractures had greater perfusion and vascularity than non-infected limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn R Gilbert
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL USA
| | | | | | - Lynn Duffy
- Departments of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL USA
| | - Ken Waites
- Departments of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL USA
| | - Hyunki Kim
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL USA
| | - Kurt Zinn
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham , AL USA
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Lu YY, Franz B, Truttmann MC, Riess T, Gay-Fraret J, Faustmann M, Kempf VAJ, Dehio C. Bartonella henselae trimeric autotransporter adhesin BadA expression interferes with effector translocation by the VirB/D4 type IV secretion system. Cell Microbiol 2012; 15:759-78. [PMID: 23163798 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2012] [Revised: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 11/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Gram-negative, zoonotic pathogen Bartonella henselae is the aetiological agent of cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis and peliosis hepatis in humans. Two pathogenicity factors of B. henselae - each displaying multiple functions in host cell interaction - have been characterized in greater detail: the trimeric autotransporter Bartonella adhesin A (BadA) and the type IV secretion system VirB/D4 (VirB/D4 T4SS). BadA mediates, e.g. binding to fibronectin (Fn), adherence to endothelial cells (ECs) and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VirB/D4 translocates several Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) into the cytoplasm of infected ECs, resulting, e.g. in uptake of bacterial aggregates via the invasome structure, inhibition of apoptosis and activation of a proangiogenic phenotype. Despite this knowledge of the individual activities of BadA or VirB/D4 it is unknown whether these major virulence factors affect each other in their specific activities. In this study, expression and function of BadA and VirB/D4 were analysed in a variety of clinical B. henselae isolates. Data revealed that most isolates have lost expression of either BadA or VirB/D4 during in vitro passages. However, the phenotypic effects of coexpression of both virulence factors was studied in one clinical isolate that was found to stably coexpress BadA and VirB/D4, as well as by ectopic expression of BadA in a strain expressing VirB/D4 but not BadA. BadA, which forms a dense layer on the bacterial surface, negatively affected VirB/D4-dependent Bep translocation and invasome formation by likely preventing close contact between the bacterial cell envelope and the host cell membrane. In contrast, BadA-dependent Fn binding, adhesion to ECs and VEGF secretion were not affected by a functional VirB/D4 T4SS. The obtained data imply that the essential virulence factors BadA and VirB/D4 are likely differentially expressed during different stages of the infection cycle of Bartonella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Yueh Lu
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Pulliainen AT, Dehio C. Persistence of Bartonella spp. stealth pathogens: from subclinical infections to vasoproliferative tumor formation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2012; 36:563-99. [PMID: 22229763 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2012.00324.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 12/13/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular bacteria that typically cause a long-lasting intraerythrocytic bacteremia in their mammalian reservoir hosts, thereby favoring transmission by blood-sucking arthropods. In most cases, natural reservoir host infections are subclinical and the relapsing intraerythrocytic bacteremia may last weeks, months, or even years. In this review, we will follow the infection cycle of Bartonella spp. in a reservoir host, which typically starts with an intradermal inoculation of bacteria that are superficially scratched into the skin from arthropod feces and terminates with the pathogen exit by the blood-sucking arthropod. The current knowledge of bacterial countermeasures against mammalian immune response will be presented for each critical step of the pathogenesis. The prevailing models of the still-enigmatic primary niche and the anatomical location where bacteria reside, persist, and are periodically seeded into the bloodstream to cause the typical relapsing Bartonella spp. bacteremia will also be critically discussed. The review will end up with a discussion of the ability of Bartonella spp., namely Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, and Bartonella bacilliformis, to induce tumor-like vascular deformations in humans having compromised immune response such as in patients with AIDS.
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Abstract
Bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that employ a unique stealth infection strategy comprising immune evasion and modulation, intimate interaction with nucleated cells, and intraerythrocytic persistence. Infections with Bartonella are ubiquitous among mammals, and many species can infect humans either as their natural host or incidentally as zoonotic pathogens. Upon inoculation into a naive host, the bartonellae first colonize a primary niche that is widely accepted to involve the manipulation of nucleated host cells, e.g., in the microvasculature. Consistently, in vitro research showed that Bartonella harbors an ample arsenal of virulence factors to modulate the response of such cells, gain entrance, and establish an intracellular niche. Subsequently, the bacteria are seeded into the bloodstream where they invade erythrocytes and give rise to a typically asymptomatic intraerythrocytic bacteremia. While this course of infection is characteristic for natural hosts, zoonotic infections or the infection of immunocompromised patients may alter the path of Bartonella and result in considerable morbidity. In this review we compile current knowledge on the molecular processes underlying both the infection strategy and pathogenesis of Bartonella and discuss their connection to the clinical presentation of human patients, which ranges from minor complaints to life-threatening disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Harms
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
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Truttmann MC, Misselwitz B, Huser S, Hardt WD, Critchley DR, Dehio C. Bartonella henselae engages inside-out and outside-in signaling by integrin β1 and talin1 during invasome-mediated bacterial uptake. J Cell Sci 2011; 124:3591-602. [PMID: 22045736 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.084459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The VirB/D4 type IV secretion system (T4SS) of the bacterial pathogen Bartonella henselae (Bhe) translocates seven effector proteins (BepA-BepG) into human cells that subvert host cellular functions. Two redundant pathways dependent on BepG or the combination of BepC and BepF trigger the formation of a bacterial uptake structure termed the invasome. Invasome formation is a multi-step process consisting of bacterial adherence, effector translocation, aggregation of bacteria on the cell surface and engulfment, and eventually, complete internalization of the bacterial aggregate occurs in an F-actin-dependent manner. In the present study, we show that Bhe-triggered invasome formation depends on integrin-β1-mediated signaling cascades that enable assembly of the F-actin invasome structure. We demonstrate that Bhe interacts with integrin β1 in a fibronectin- and VirB/D4 T4SS-independent manner and that activated integrin β1 is essential for both effector translocation and the actin rearrangements leading to invasome formation. Furthermore, we show that talin1, but not talin2, is required for inside-out activation of integrin β1 during invasome formation. Finally, integrin-β1-mediated outside-in signaling by FAK, Src, paxillin and vinculin is necessary for invasome formation. This is the first example of a bacterial entry process that fully exploits the bi-directional signaling capacity of integrin receptors in a talin1-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias C Truttmann
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Klingelbergstr. 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Berrich M, Kieda C, Grillon C, Monteil M, Lamerant N, Gavard J, Boulouis HJ, Haddad N. Differential effects of Bartonella henselae on human and feline macro- and micro-vascular endothelial cells. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20204. [PMID: 21637717 PMCID: PMC3103534 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae, a zoonotic agent, induces tumors of endothelial cells (ECs), namely bacillary angiomatosis and peliosis in immunosuppressed humans but not in cats. In vitro studies on ECs represent to date the only way to explore the interactions between Bartonella henselae and vascular endothelium. However, no comparative study of the interactions between Bartonella henselae and human (incidental host) ECs vs feline (reservoir host) ECs has been carried out because of the absence of any available feline endothelial cell lines.To this purpose, we have developed nine feline EC lines which allowed comparing the effects of Bartonella strains on human and feline micro-vascular ECs representative of the infection development sites such as skin, versus macro-vascular ECs, such as umbilical vein.Our model revealed intrinsic differences between human (Human Skin Microvascular ECs -HSkMEC and Human Umbilical Vein ECs - iHUVEC) and feline ECs susceptibility to Bartonella henselae infection.While no effect was observed on the feline ECs upon Bartonella henselae infection, the human ones displayed accelerated angiogenesis and wound healing.Noticeable differences were demonstrated between human micro- and macro-vasculature derived ECs both in terms of pseudo-tube formation and healing. Interestingly, Bartonella henselae effects on human ECs were also elicited by soluble factors.Neither Bartonella henselae-infected Human Skin Microvascular ECs clinically involved in bacillary angiomatosis, nor feline ECs increased cAMP production, as opposed to HUVEC.Bartonella henselae could stimulate the activation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) in homologous cellular systems and trigger VEGF production by HSkMECs only, but not iHUVEC or any feline ECs tested.These results may explain the decreased pathogenic potential of Bartonella henselae infection for cats as compared to humans and strongly suggest that an autocrine secretion of VEGF by human skin endothelial cells might induce their growth and ultimately lead to bacillary angiomatosis formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moez Berrich
- Unité Mixte de Recherche de Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires et Fongiques, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Claudine Kieda
- Unité Propre de Recherche 4301, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orléans, France
| | - Catherine Grillon
- Unité Propre de Recherche 4301, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orléans, France
| | - Martine Monteil
- Unité Mixte de Recherche de Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires et Fongiques, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Nathalie Lamerant
- Unité Propre de Recherche 4301, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orléans, France
| | - Julie Gavard
- Unité 1016 Inserm, Institut Cochin, CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Henri Jean Boulouis
- Unité Mixte de Recherche de Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires et Fongiques, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Nadia Haddad
- Unité Mixte de Recherche de Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires et Fongiques, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
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