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de Albuquerque-Melo BC, Pereira BAS, Ennes-Vidal V, Gonçalves MEP, Côrtes LMDC, Cysne-Finkelstein L, Guedes HLDM, Dias-Lopes G, Alves CR. Assessing proteases and enzymes of the trypanothione system in subpopulations of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis Thor strain during macrophage infection. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2024; 119:e240038. [PMID: 38985089 PMCID: PMC11251415 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760240038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis Thor strain exhibits a heterogeneous composition comprised of subpopulations with varying levels of infectivity. Clonal subpopulations were previously obtained from the strain Thor by sorting single-parasites and proceeding cultivation. The subpopulations used in this study are named Thor03, Thor 10 and Thor22. OBJECTIVES Phenotypic characteristics of the parasite, specially focusing on virulence factors and resistance to the antimicrobial mechanisms of macrophages, were investigate in these subpopulations. METHODS Cellular and molecular biology, as well as biochemistry approaches were applied to obtain the data analysed in this study. FINDINGS Relative quantification of gene expression was measured for calpain, cysteine protease B (CPB), and subtilisin proteases but no significant differences in these genes' expression among subpopulations was observed. However, subtilisin and CPB proteins were assessed as more abundant in Thor03 by fluorescence-labelled flow cytometry technique. Western Blotting assays, as semi-quantitative analysis in gel, showed higher concentrations of subtilisin (110 to 50 kDa) and CPB (40 to 18 kDa) in extract of intracellular amastigotes from subpopulations Thor03 and Thor10 and calpain (60 to 25 kDa) showed no significant differences among subpopulations. Complementary, higher trypanothione reductase activity was observed in Thor10 intracellular amastigotes and assays of susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide-inducing agents and nitric oxide donors conducted with promastigotes revealed greater resistance to in vitro oxidative stress induction for Thor10, followed by Thor03. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The data obtained for the virulence factors explored here suggest how multiple coexisting phenotypic-distinct subpopulations may contribute in adaptability of a single L. (V.) braziliensis strain during infection in the host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bernardo Acácio Santini Pereira
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, Niterói, RJ, Brasil
| | - Vítor Ennes-Vidal
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Maria Eduarda Pinto Gonçalves
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Luzia Monteiro de Castro Côrtes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Léa Cysne-Finkelstein
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Herbert Leonel de Matos Guedes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Imunologia Clínica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Laboratório de Imunobiotecnologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Geovane Dias-Lopes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Carlos Roberto Alves
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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Differences in Charge Distribution in Leishmania tarentolae Leishmanolysin Result in a Reduced Enzymatic Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147660. [PMID: 35887004 PMCID: PMC9321319 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania tarentolae is a non-pathogenic trypanosomatid isolated from lizards widely used for heterologous protein expression and extensively studied to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of leishmaniasis. The repertoire of leishmanolysin genes was reported to be expanded in L. tarentolae genome, but no proteolytic activity was detected. Here, we analyzed L. tarentolae leishmanolysin proteins from the genome to the structural levels and evaluated the enzymatic activity of the wild-type and overexpressing mutants of leishmanolysin. A total of 61 leishmanolysin sequences were retrieved from the L. tarentolae genome. Five of them were selected for phylogenetic analysis, and for three of them, we built 3D models based on the crystallographic structure of L. major ortholog. Molecular dynamics simulations of these models disclosed a less negative electrostatic potential compared to the template. Subsequently, L. major LmjF.10.0460 and L. tarentolae LtaP10.0650 leishmanolysins were cloned in a pLEXSY expression system into L. tarentolae. Proteins from the wild-type and the overexpressing parasites were submitted to enzymatic analysis. Our results revealed that L. tarentolae leishmanolysins harbor a weak enzymatic activity about three times less abundant than L. major leishmanolysin. Our findings strongly suggest that the less negative electrostatic potential of L. tarentolae leishmanolysin can be the reason for the reduced proteolytic activity detected in this parasite.
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