Isolation and characterization of phagosomes containing Chlamydia psittaci from L cells

Reconceptualizing the chlamydial inclusion as a pathogen-specified parasitic organelle: an expanded role for Inc proteins

Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular pathogen that develops in the host cell in a vacuole termed the chlamydial inclusion. The prevailing concept of the chlamydial inclusion is of a parasitophorous vacuole. Here, the inclusion is the recipient of one-way host-pathogen interactions thus draining nutrients from the cell and negatively impacting it. While Chlamydia orchestrates some aspects of cell function, recent data indicate host cells remain healthy up until, and even after, chlamydial egress. Thus, while Chlamydia relies on the host cell for necessary metabolites, the overall function of the host cell, during chlamydial growth and development, is not grossly disturbed. This is consistent with the obligate intracellular organism's interest to maintain viability of its host. To this end, Chlamydia expresses inclusion membrane proteins, Incs, which serve as molecular markers for the inclusion membrane. Incs also contribute to the physical structure of the inclusion membrane and facilitate host-pathogen interactions across it. Given the function of Incs and the dynamic interactions that occur at the inclusion membrane, we propose that the inclusion behaves similarly to an organelle-albeit one that benefits the pathogen. We present the hypothesis that the chlamydial inclusion acts as a pathogen-specified parasitic organelle. This representation integrates the inclusion within existing subcellular trafficking pathways to divert a subset of host-derived metabolites thus maintaining host cell homeostasis. We review the known interactions of the chlamydial inclusion with the host cell and discuss the role of Inc proteins in the context of this model and how this perspective can impact the study of these proteins. Lessons learnt from the chlamydial pathogen-specified parasitic organelle can be applied to other intracellular pathogens. This will increase our understanding of how intracellular pathogens engage the host cell to establish their unique developmental niches.

Characterization and intracellular trafficking pattern of vacuoles containing Chlamydia pneumoniae in human epithelial cells

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular pathogens that reside within a membrane-bound vacuole throughout their developmental cycle. In this study, the intraphagosomal pH of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) was qualitatively assessed, and the intracellular fate of the pathogen-containing vacuole and its interaction with endocytic organelles in human epithelial cells were analysed using conventional immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. The pH-sensitive probes acridine orange (AO), LysoTracker (LyT) and DAMP did not accumulate in the bacterial inclusion. In addition, exposure of cells to bafilomycin A1(BafA1), a potent acidification inhibitor, did not inhibit or delay chlamydial growth. The chlamydial compartment was not accessible to the fluid-phase tracer Texas Red (TR)-dextran and did not exhibit any level of staining for the late endosomal marker cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (Ci-M6PR) or for the lysosomal-associated membrane proteins (LAMP-1 and -2) and CD63. In addition, transferrin receptor (TfR)-enriched vesicles were observed close to Cpn vacuoles, potentially indicating a specific translocation of these organelles through the cytoplasm to the vicinity of the vacuole. We conclude that Cpn, like other chlamydial spp., circumvents the host endocytic pathway and inhabits a non-acidic vacuole, which is dissociated from late endosomes and lysosomes, but selectively accumulates early endosomes.

Safe haven: the cell biology of nonfusogenic pathogen vacuoles

Our understanding of both membrane traffic in mammalian cells and the cell biology of infection with intracellular pathogens has increased dramatically in recent years. In this review, we discuss the cell biology of the host-microbe interaction for four intracellular pathogens: Chlamydia spp., Legionella pneumophila, Mycobacterium spp., and the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. All of these organisms reside in vacuoles inside cells that have restricted fusion with host organelles of the endocytic cascade. Despite this restricted fusion, the vacuoles surrounding each pathogen display novel interactions with other host cell organelles. In addition to the effect of infection on host membrane traffic, we focus on these novel interactions and relate them where possible to nutrient acquisition by the intracellular organisms.

Interaction of chlamydiae and host cells in vitro

The obligately intracellular bacteria of the genus Chlamydia, which is only remotely related to other eubacterial genera, cause many diseases of humans, nonhuman mammals, and birds. Interaction of chlamydiae with host cells in vitro has been studied as a model of infection in natural hosts and as an example of the adaptation of an organism to an unusual environment, the inside of another living cell. Among the novel adaptations made by chlamydiae have been the substitution of disulfide-bond-cross-linked polypeptides for peptidoglycans and the use of host-generated nucleotide triphosphates as sources of metabolic energy. The effect of contact between chlamydiae and host cells in culture varies from no effect at all to rapid destruction of either chlamydiae or host cells. When successful infection occurs, it is usually followed by production of large numbers of progeny and destruction of host cells. However, host cells containing chlamydiae sometimes continue to divide, with or without overt signs of infection, and chlamydiae may persist indefinitely in cell cultures. Some of the many factors that influence the outcome of chlamydia-host cell interaction are kind of chlamydiae, kind of host cells, mode of chlamydial entry, nutritional adequacy of the culture medium, presence of antimicrobial agents, and presence of immune cells and soluble immune factors. General characteristics of chlamydial multiplication in cells of their natural hosts are reproduced in established cell lines, but reproduction in vitro of the subtle differences in chlamydial behavior responsible for the individuality of the different chlamydial diseases will require better in vitro models.

Isolation and characterization of macrophage phagosomes containing infectious and heat-inactivated Chlamydia psittaci: two phagosomes with different intracellular behaviors

Infectious Chlamydia psittaci enters macrophages via a cytochalasin B-insensitive pathway in which chlamydia-containing phagosomes do not fuse with lysosomes; heat-inactivated C. psittaci enters macrophages via a route in which phagosomes do fuse with lysosomes. In an attempt to explain these differences, phagosomes containing infectious and heated chlamydiae were isolated from mouse macrophages by a procedure developed to isolate L-cell chlamydial phagosomes by rate zonal centrifugation. Macrophage phagosomes acted similarly to L-cell phagosomes on dextran and discontinuous sucrose gradients and exhibited similar detergent sensitivities. Total proteins of the two phagosomes were compared with each other, L-cell proteins, and surface-labeled proteins from macrophages. Both macrophage phagosome membranes had at least nine proteins with equal sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis mobilities; some were the same as L-cell phagosome proteins. Each phagosome had at least one protein not seen in the other. Only two phagosome proteins had mobilities equal to macrophage plasma membrane proteins. Macrophage phagosomes containing infectious and heat-inactivated C. psittaci, although created by different entry mechanisms and destined for different intracellular fates, exhibited only a few differences in their proteins.