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Guérin M, Vandevenne M, Brans A, Matagne A, Marquant R, Prost E, Octave S, Avalle B, Maffucci I, Padiolleau-Lefèvre S. Production, purification, and quality assessment of borrelial proteins CspZ from Borrelia burgdorferi and FhbA from Borrelia hermsii. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:425. [PMID: 39042328 PMCID: PMC11266248 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13195-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Borrelia, spirochetes transmitted by ticks, are the etiological agents of numerous multisystemic diseases, such as Lyme borreliosis (LB) and tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF). This study focuses on two surface proteins from two Borrelia subspecies involved in these diseases: CspZ, expressed by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (also named BbCRASP-2 for complement regulator-acquiring surface protein 2), and the factor H binding A (FhbA), expressed by Borrelia hermsii. Numerous subspecies of Borrelia, including these latter, are able to evade the immune defenses of a variety of potential vertebrate hosts in a number of ways. In this context, previous data suggested that both surface proteins play a role in the immune evasion of both Borrelia subspecies by interacting with key regulators of the alternative pathway of the human complement system, factor H (FH) and FH-like protein 1 (FHL-1). The recombinant proteins, CspZ and FhbA, were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by one-step metal-affinity chromatography, with yields of 15 and 20 mg or pure protein for 1 L of cultured bacteria, respectively. The purity was evaluated by SDS-PAGE and HPLC and is close to about 95%. The mass of CspZ and FhbA was checked by mass spectrometry (MS). Proper folding of CspZ and FhbA was confirmed by circular dichroism (CD), and their biological activity, namely their interaction with purified FH from human serum (recombinant FH15-20 and recombinant FHL-1), was characterized by SPR. Such a study provides the basis for the biochemical characterization of the studied proteins and their biomolecular interactions which is a necessary prerequisite for the development of new approaches to improve the current diagnosis of LB and TBRF. KEY POINTS: • DLS, CD, SEC-MALS, NMR, HPLC, and MS are tools for protein quality assessment • Borrelia spp. possesses immune evasion mechanisms, including human host complement • CspZ and FhbA interact with high affinity (pM to nM) to human FH and rFHL-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickaël Guérin
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire (GEC), CNRS UMR 7025, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, 60203, France
| | - Marylène Vandevenne
- Robotein®, InBioS Research Unit, University of Liège, Building B6, Quartier Agora, Allée du 6 Août, 13, Sart-Tilman, Liège, 4000, Belgium
- Centre for Protein Engineering, InBioS Research Unit, University of Liège, Building B6, Quartier Agora, Allée du 6 Août, 13, Liège, Sart- Tilman), 4000, Belgium
| | - Alain Brans
- Protein Factory, InBioS Research Unit, University of Liège, Building B6, Quartier Agora, Allée du 6 Août, 13, Sart-Tilman, Liège, 4000, Belgium
- Centre for Protein Engineering, InBioS Research Unit, University of Liège, Building B6, Quartier Agora, Allée du 6 Août, 13, Liège, Sart- Tilman), 4000, Belgium
| | - André Matagne
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, InBioS Research Unit, University of Liège, Building B6, Quartier Agora, Allée du 6 Août, 13, Sart-Tilman, Liège, 4000, Belgium
- Centre for Protein Engineering, InBioS Research Unit, University of Liège, Building B6, Quartier Agora, Allée du 6 Août, 13, Liège, Sart- Tilman), 4000, Belgium
| | - Rodrigue Marquant
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire (GEC), CNRS UMR 7025, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, 60203, France
| | - Elise Prost
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire (GEC), CNRS UMR 7025, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, 60203, France
| | - Stéphane Octave
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire (GEC), CNRS UMR 7025, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, 60203, France
| | - Bérangère Avalle
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire (GEC), CNRS UMR 7025, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, 60203, France
| | - Irene Maffucci
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire (GEC), CNRS UMR 7025, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, 60203, France
| | - Séverine Padiolleau-Lefèvre
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire (GEC), CNRS UMR 7025, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, 60203, France.
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2
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Azevedo IR, Amamura TA, Isaac L. Human leptospirosis: In search for a better vaccine. Scand J Immunol 2023; 98:e13316. [PMID: 39008520 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a neglected disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira and is more prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries. This pathogen infects humans and other animals, responsible for the most widespread zoonosis in the world, estimated to be responsible for 60 000 deaths and 1 million cases per year. To date, commercial vaccines against human leptospirosis are available only in some countries such as Japan, China, Cuba and France. These vaccines prepared with inactivated Leptospira (bacterins) induce a short-term and serovar-specific immune response, with strong adverse side effects. To circumvent these limitations, several research groups are investigating new experimental vaccines in order to ensure that they are safe, efficient, and protect against several pathogenic Leptospira serovars, inducing sterilizing immunity. Most of these protocols use attenuated cultures, preparations after LPS removal, recombinant proteins or DNA from pathogenic Leptospira spp. The aim of this review was to highlight several promising vaccine candidates, considering their immunogenicity, presence in different pathogenic Leptospira serovars, their role in virulence or immune evasion and other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabela Resende Azevedo
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais Akemi Amamura
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lourdes Isaac
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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3
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Kavela S, Vyas P, CP J, Kushwaha SK, Majumdar SS, Faisal SM. Use of an Integrated Multi-Omics Approach To Identify Molecular Mechanisms and Critical Factors Involved in the Pathogenesis of Leptospira. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0313522. [PMID: 36853003 PMCID: PMC10100824 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03135-22] [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: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, a bacterial zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., is prevalent worldwide and has become a serious threat in recent years. Limited understanding of Leptospira pathogenesis and host response has hampered the development of effective vaccine and diagnostics. Although Leptospira is phagocytosed by innate immune cells, it resists its destruction, and the evading mechanism involved is unclear. In the present study, we used an integrative multi-omics approach to identify the critical molecular factors of Leptospira involved in pathogenesis during interaction with human macrophages. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were performed at 24 h postinfection of human macrophages (phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate differentiated THP-1 cells) with the pathogenic Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae strain RGA (LEPIRGA). Our results identified a total of 1,528 transcripts and 871 proteins that were significantly expressed with an adjusted P value of <0.05. The correlations between the transcriptomic and proteomic data were above average (r = 0.844), suggesting the role of the posttranscriptional processes during host interaction. The conjoint analysis revealed the expression of several virulence-associated proteins such as adhesins, invasins, and secretory and chemotaxis proteins that might be involved in various processes of attachment and invasion and as effectors during pathogenesis in the host. Further, the interaction of bacteria with the host cell (macrophages) was a major factor in the differential expression of these proteins. Finally, eight common differentially expressed RNA-protein pairs, predicted as virulent, outer membrane/extracellular proteins were validated by quantitative PCR. This is the first report using integrated multi-omics approach to identify critical factors involved in Leptospira pathogenesis. Validation of these critical factors may lead to the identification of target antigens for the development of improved diagnostics and vaccines against leptospirosis. IMPORTANCE Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance. It is caused by a Gram-negative bacterial spirochete of the genus Leptospira. The current challenge is to detect the infection at early stage for treatment or to develop potent vaccines that can induce cross-protection against various pathogenic serovars. Understanding host-pathogen interactions is important to identify the critical factors involved in pathogenesis and host defense for developing improved vaccines and diagnostics. Utilizing an integrated multi-omics approach, our study provides important insight into the interaction of Leptospira with human macrophages and identifies a few critical factors (such as virulence-associated proteins) involved in pathogenesis. These factors can be exploited for the development of novel tools for the detection, treatment, or prevention of leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sridhar Kavela
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Pallavi Vyas
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India
| | - Jusail CP
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India
| | - Sandeep K. Kushwaha
- Bioinformatics Lab, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Subeer S. Majumdar
- Gene and Protein Engineering Lab, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Syed M. Faisal
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India
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4
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Courrol DDS, da Silva CCF, Prado LG, Chura-Chambi RM, Morganti L, de Souza GO, Heinemann MB, Isaac L, Conte FP, Portaro FCV, Rodrigues-da-Silva RN, Barbosa AS. Leptolysin, a Leptospira secreted metalloprotease of the pappalysin family with broad-spectrum activity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:966370. [PMID: 36081769 PMCID: PMC9445424 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.966370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular proteolytic enzymes are produced by a variety of pathogenic microorganisms, and contribute to host colonization by modulating virulence. Here, we present a first characterization of leptolysin, a Leptospira metalloprotease of the pappalysin family identified in a previous exoproteomic study. Comparative molecular analysis of leptolysin with two other pappalysins from prokaryotes, ulilysin and mirolysin, reveals similarities regarding calcium, zinc, and arginine -binding sites conservation within the catalytic domain, but also discloses peculiarities. Variations observed in the primary and tertiary structures may reflect differences in primary specificities. Purified recombinant leptolysin of L. interrogans was obtained as a ~50 kDa protein. The protease exhibited maximal activity at pH 8.0 and 37°C, and hydrolytic activity was observed in the presence of different salts with maximum efficiency in NaCl. Substrate specificity was assessed using a small number of FRET peptides, and showed a marked preference for arginine residues at the P1 position. L. interrogans leptolysin proteolytic activity on proteinaceous substrates such as proteoglycans and plasma fibronectin was also evaluated. All proteins tested were efficiently degraded over time, confirming the protease´s broad-spectrum activity in vitro. In addition, leptolysin induced morphological alterations on HK-2 cells, which may be partially attributed to extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Hemorrhagic foci were observed in the dorsal skin of mice intradermally injected with leptolysin, as a plausible consequence of ECM disarray and vascular endothelium glycocalyx damage. Assuming that leptospiral proteases play an important role in all stages of the infectious process, characterizing their functional properties, substrates and mechanisms of action is of great importance for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luan Gavião Prado
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosa Maria Chura-Chambi
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Biotechnology, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute (IPEN)-CNEN/SP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ligia Morganti
- Center of Biotechnology, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute (IPEN)-CNEN/SP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gisele Oliveira de Souza
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Bryan Heinemann
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lourdes Isaac
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Paiva Conte
- Pilot Plant Implementation Project, Immunobiological Technology Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Angela Silva Barbosa
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Angela Silva Barbosa,
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5
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Novak A, Pennings JLA, van der Maas L, Meiring HD, Ludwig I, Verkoeijen S, Rutten V, Broere F, Sloots A. Transcriptome and proteome analysis of innate immune responses to inactivated Leptospira and bivalent Leptospira vaccines in canine 030-D cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13418. [PMID: 35927283 PMCID: PMC9352656 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16457-z] [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: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mandatory potency testing of Leptospira vaccine batches relies partially on in vivo procedures, requiring large numbers of laboratory animals. Cell-based assays could replace in vivo tests for vaccine quality control if biomarkers indicative of Leptospira vaccine potency are identified. We investigated innate immune responsiveness induced by inactivated L. interrogans serogroups Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae, and two bivalent, non-adjuvanted canine Leptospira vaccines containing the same serogroups. First, the transcriptome and proteome analysis of a canine monocyte/macrophage 030-D cell line stimulated with Leptospira strains, and vaccine B revealed more than 900 DEGs and 23 DEPs in common to these three stimuli. Second, comparison of responses induced by vaccine B and vaccine D revealed a large overlap in DEGs and DEPs as well, suggesting potential to identify biomarkers indicative of Leptospira vaccine quality. Because not many common DEPs were identified, we selected seven molecules from the identified DEGs, associated with pathways related to innate immunity, of which CXCL-10, IL-1β, SAA, and complement C3 showed increased secretion upon stimulation with both Leptospira vaccines. These molecules could be interesting targets for development of biomarker-based assays for Leptospira vaccine quality control in the future. Additionally, this study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms by which Leptospira vaccines induce innate immune responses in the dog.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreja Novak
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Intravacc, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen L A Pennings
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Irene Ludwig
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Saertje Verkoeijen
- Research Centre Healthy and Sustainable Living, Innovative Testing in Life Sciences and Chemistry, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Victor Rutten
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Femke Broere
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Division of Internal Medicine of Companion Animals, Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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6
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Kumar P, Shiraz M, Akif M. Multi-epitope-based vaccine design by exploring antigenic potential among leptospiral lipoproteins using comprehensive immunoinformatics and structure-based approaches. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2022; 70:670-687. [PMID: 35877991 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2389] [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: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a tropical and globally neglected zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes, leptospira. Although the disease has been studied for decades, a potent or effective vaccine is not available so far. Efforts are being made to design an efficient vaccine candidate using different approaches. Immunoinformatics approaches have been proven to be promising in terms of time and cost. Here, we used immunoinformatics and structure-based approaches to evaluate antigenic B and T-cell epitopes present on the Leptospiral lipoproteins (LipL). The promiscuous overlapping epitopes (B-cell, T-cell, IFN- γ positive and non-allergens), which can induce humoral, cell-mediated, and innate immunity, were selected to generate a multi-epitope chimeric vaccine. To enhance the vaccine immunogenicity, a TLR agonist was fused to the vaccine with a suitable linker. The chimeric vaccine structure was predicted for molecular docking studies with immune receptors. Moreover, the stability of the vaccine-immune receptor complexes was analyzed by normal mode analysis (NMA). The potency of the vaccine construct was predicted by the immune simulation tool. The study provides additional information towards constructing a peptide-based chimeric vaccine effort against Leptospira. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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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
| | - Mohd Shiraz
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, INDIA
| | - Mohd Akif
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, INDIA
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7
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Hota S, Hussain MS, Kumar M. ErpY-like Lipoprotein of Leptospira Outsmarts Host Complement Regulation by Acquiring Complement Regulators, Activating Alternative Pathways, and Intervening in the Membrane Attack Complex. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:982-997. [PMID: 35422118 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00602] [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: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The survival of pathogenic Leptospira in the host depends on its proficiency to circumvent the immune response. These pathogens evade the complement system in serum by enticing and amassing the serum complement regulators onto their surface. ErpY-like lipoprotein, a surface-exposed protein of Leptospira spp., is conserved in the pathogenic Leptospira serovars. The recombinant form of this protein interacts with multiple extracellular matrix (ECM) components and serum proteins such as soluble complement regulators factor H (FH) and factor I (FI). Here, we document that the supplementation of rErpY-like protein (10 μg/mL) in human serum inhibits complement-mediated bacterial cell lysis and augments the viability of Escherichia coli and saprophytic Leptospira biflexa by more than two-fold. Complement regulators FH and FI, when bound to rErpY-like protein, preserve their respective cofactor and protease activity and cleave the complement component C3b. The supplementation of rErpY-like protein (40 μg/mL) in serum ensued in an ∼90% reduction of membrane attack complex (C5b-9/MAC) deposition through the alternative pathway (AP) of complement activation. However, rErpY-like protein could moderately reduce (∼16%) MAC deposition in serum through the classical pathway (CP). In addition, the rErpY-like protein solely initiated the AP, suggesting its role in the rapid consumption and depletion of the complement components. Blocking the pathogenic Leptospira interrogans surface with anti-rErpY-like antibodies resulted in an increase in MAC formation on the bacterial surface, indicating a specific role of the ErpY-like lipoprotein in complement-mediated immune evasion. This study underscores the role of the ErpY-like lipoprotein of Leptospira in complement evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saswat Hota
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Md Saddam Hussain
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
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8
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Kumar A, Varma VP, Faisal SM. Screening of Surface-Exposed Lipoproteins of Leptospira Involved in Modulation of Host Innate Immune Response. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:761670. [PMID: 35401498 PMCID: PMC8988195 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.761670] [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: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospira, a zoonotic pathogen, is capable of causing both chronic and acute infection in a susceptible host. Surface-exposed lipoproteins play a major role in modulating the host immune response by activating the innate cells like macrophages and dendritic cells or evading complement attack and killing by phagocytes like neutrophils to favor pathogenesis and establish infection. In this study, we screened some surface-exposed lipoproteins known to be involved in pathogenesis to assess their possible role in immune modulation (innate immune activation or evasion). Surface proteins of the Len family (LenB, LenD, and LenE), Lsa30, Loa22, and Lipl21 were purified in recombinant form and then tested for their ability to activate macrophages of the different host (mouse, human, and bovine). These proteins were tested for binding with complement regulators like Factor H (FH), C4 Binding Protein (C4BP), and host protease Plasminogen (PLG) and also as nucleases to access their possible role in innate immune evasion. Our results show that, of various proteins tested, Loa22 induced strong innate activation and Lsa30 was least stimulatory, as evident from the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor–α) and expression of surface markers [CD80, CD86, and major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII)]. All the tested proteins were able to bind to FH, C4BP, and PLG; however, Loa22 showed strong binding to PLG correlating to plasmin activity. All the proteins except Loa22 showed nuclease activity, albeit with a requirement of different metal ions. The nuclease activity of these proteins correlated to in vitro degradation of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET). In conclusion, our results indicate that these surface proteins are involved in innate immune modulation and may play a critical role in assisting the bacteria in invading and colonizing the host tissue for persistent infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India.,Regional Center for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India
| | - Vivek P Varma
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India.,Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Syed M Faisal
- Laboratory of Vaccine Immunology, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India.,Regional Center for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India
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9
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Prado LG, Barbosa AS. Understanding the Renal Fibrotic Process in Leptospirosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910779. [PMID: 34639117 PMCID: PMC8509513 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a neglected infectious disease caused by pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira. The acute disease is well-described, and, although it resembles other tropical diseases, it can be diagnosed through the use of serological and molecular methods. While the chronic renal disease, carrier state, and kidney fibrosis due to Leptospira infection in humans have been the subject of discussion by researchers, the mechanisms involved in these processes are still overlooked, and relatively little is known about the establishment and maintenance of the chronic status underlying this infectious disease. In this review, we highlight recent findings regarding the cellular communication pathways involved in the renal fibrotic process, as well as the relationship between renal fibrosis due to leptospirosis and CKD/CKDu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luan Gavião Prado
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil;
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Angela Silva Barbosa
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil;
- Correspondence:
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10
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Coburn J, Picardeau M, Woods CW, Veldman T, Haake DA. Pathogenesis insights from an ancient and ubiquitous spirochete. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009836. [PMID: 34673833 PMCID: PMC8530280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jenifer Coburn
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | | | - Christopher W. Woods
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Timothy Veldman
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - David A. Haake
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- The David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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11
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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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Philip N, Affendy NB, Masri SN, Yuhana MY, Than LTL, Sekawi Z, Neela VK. Combined PCR and MAT improves the early diagnosis of the biphasic illness leptospirosis. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239069. [PMID: 32915919 PMCID: PMC7485768 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of leptospirosis remains a challenge due to its non-specific symptoms and the biphasic nature of the illness. A comprehensive diagnosis that includes both molecular (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) and serology is vital for early detection of leptospirosis and to avoid misdiagnosis. However, not all samples could be subjected to both tests (serology and molecular) due to budget limitation, infrastructure, and technical expertise at least in resource-limited countries. We evaluated the usefulness of testing the clinically suspected leptospirosis cases with both techniques on all samples collected from the patients on the day of admission. Among the 165 patient’s blood/serum samples tested (from three hospitals in Central Malaysia), 43 (26%) showed positivity by microscopic agglutination test (MAT), 63 (38%) by PCR, while 14 (8%) were positive by both MAT and PCR. For PCR, we tested two molecular targets (lipL32 by qPCR and 16S rDNA or rrs by nested PCR) and detected lipL32 in 47 (29%) and rrs gene in 63 (38%) patients. The use of more than one target gene for PCR increased the detection rates. Hence, a highly sensitive multiplex PCR targeting more than one diagnostic marker is recommended for the early detection of Leptospira in suspected patients. When the frequencies for positivity detected either by MAT or PCR combined, leptospirosis was diagnosed in a total of 92 (56%) patients, a higher frequency compared to when samples were only tested by a single method (MAT or PCR). The results from this study suggest the inclusion of both serology and molecular methods for every first sample irrespective of the days post-onset of symptoms (DPO) collected from patients for early diagnosis of leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noraini Philip
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Norliza Bahtiar Affendy
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Siti Norbaya Masri
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Muhamad Yazli Yuhana
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Leslie Thian Lung Than
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Zamberi Sekawi
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Vasantha Kumari Neela
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- * E-mail:
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13
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Johnson PA, Johnson JC. Role of the complement in Leptospira virulence and infection. Biomed J 2020; 43:462-463. [PMID: 33032964 PMCID: PMC7680810 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Johnson
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| | - John C Johnson
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Affiliation(s)
- Seppo Meri
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology and Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Finland.,HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
| | - Hanna Jarva
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology and Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Finland.,HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
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15
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Xu J, Koizumi N, Nakamura S. Crawling Motility on the Host Tissue Surfaces Is Associated With the Pathogenicity of the Zoonotic Spirochete Leptospira. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1886. [PMID: 32849465 PMCID: PMC7419657 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial motility is crucial for many pathogenic species in the process of invasion and/or dissemination. The spirochete bacteria Leptospira spp. cause symptoms, such as hemorrhage, jaundice, and nephritis, in diverse mammals including humans. Although loss-of-motility attenuate the spirochete's virulence, the mechanism of the motility-dependent pathogenicity is unknown. Here, focusing on that Leptospira spp. swim in liquid and crawl on solid surfaces, we investigated the spirochetal dynamics on the host tissues by infecting cultured kidney cells from various species with pathogenic and non-pathogenic leptospires. We found that, in the case of the pathogenic leptospires, a larger fraction of bacteria attached to the host cells and persistently traveled long distances using the crawling mechanism. Our results associate the kinetics and kinematic features of the spirochetal pathogens with their virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xu
- Department of Animal Microbiology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Nobuo Koizumi
- Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuichi Nakamura
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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