RESUMO
Infection with obligatory intracellular bacteria is difficult to treat, as intracellular targets and delivery methods of therapeutics are not well known. Ehrlichia translocated factor-1 (Etf-1), a type IV secretion system (T4SS) effector, is a primary virulence factor for an obligatory intracellular bacterium, Ehrlichia chaffeensis In this study, we developed Etf-1-specific nanobodies (Nbs) by immunizing a llama to determine if intracellular Nbs block Etf-1 functions and Ehrlichia infection. Of 24 distinct anti-Etf-1 Nbs, NbD7 blocked mitochondrial localization of Etf-1-GFP in cotransfected cells. NbD7 and control Nb (NbD3) bound to different regions of Etf-1. Size-exclusion chromatography showed that the NbD7 and Etf-1 complex was more stable than the NbD3 and Etf-1 complex. Intracellular expression of NbD7 inhibited three activities of Etf-1 and E. chaffeensis: up-regulation of mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase, reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species, and inhibition of cellular apoptosis. Consequently, intracellular NbD7 inhibited Ehrlichia infection, whereas NbD3 did not. To safely and effectively deliver Nbs into the host cell cytoplasm, NbD7 was conjugated to cyclized cell-permeable peptide 12 (CPP12-NbD7). CPP12-NbD7 effectively entered mammalian cells and abrogated the blockade of cellular apoptosis caused by E. chaffeensis and inhibited infection by E. chaffeensis in cell culture and in a severe combined-immunodeficiency mouse model. Our results demonstrate the development of an Nb that interferes with T4SS effector functions and intracellular pathogen infection, along with an intracellular delivery method for this Nb. This strategy should overcome current barriers to advance mechanistic research and develop therapies complementary or alternative to the current broad-spectrum antibiotic.
Assuntos
Ehrlichia chaffeensis/efeitos dos fármacos , Ehrlichiose/tratamento farmacológico , Anticorpos de Domínio Único/farmacologia , Sistemas de Secreção Tipo IV/genética , Animais , Apoptose/genética , Subpopulações de Linfócitos B/imunologia , Ehrlichia chaffeensis/genética , Ehrlichia chaffeensis/imunologia , Ehrlichia chaffeensis/patogenicidade , Ehrlichiose/genética , Ehrlichiose/imunologia , Ehrlichiose/patologia , Interações Hospedeiro-Patógeno/genética , Interações Hospedeiro-Patógeno/imunologia , Humanos , Camundongos , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio/metabolismo , Anticorpos de Domínio Único/imunologia , Sistemas de Secreção Tipo IV/antagonistas & inibidores , Sistemas de Secreção Tipo IV/imunologia , Fatores de VirulênciaRESUMO
C-type lectins are a family of calcium-dependent carbohydrate-binding proteins which are believed to play important roles in the innate immunity of invertebrates. This study identified two novel C-type lectins, designated as MnCTLDcp2 and MnCTLDcp3, from the oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense. The full-length cDNA of MnCTLDcp2 was of 1582 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 972 bp encoding a polypeptide of 323 amino acids. The complete nucleotide sequence of MnCTLDcp3 cDNA was 583 bp, containing a 555 bp ORF encoding a putative protein of 184 deduced amino acids. The deduced MnCTLDcp2 and MnCTLDcp3 proteins both contained a single C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD). Besides, MnCTLDcp2 contains a signal peptide and an low-density lipoprotein receptor class A (LDLa) domain. Reverse transcription PCR showed that MnCTLDcp2 was expressed in the heart, gill, nerve hepatopancreas and intestine; MnCTLDcp3 was expressed in the hepatopancreas, heart, nerve, gill and muscle. Their expression in the heart tissue was regulated following challenge with bacteria. The microbial agglutination assay showed that both MnCTLDcp2 and MnCTLDcp3 could agglutinated bacteria in the presence of calcium. All these results suggested that MnCTLDcp2 and MnCTLDcp3 functioned as pattern recognition receptors in the immune system of M. nipponense.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Artrópodes/genética , Expressão Gênica , Imunidade Inata , Lectinas Tipo C/genética , Palaemonidae/genética , Palaemonidae/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Proteínas de Artrópodes/química , Proteínas de Artrópodes/metabolismo , Clonagem Molecular , DNA Complementar/genética , DNA Complementar/metabolismo , Lectinas Tipo C/química , Lectinas Tipo C/metabolismo , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Especificidade de Órgãos , Palaemonidae/metabolismo , Filogenia , Alinhamento de SequênciaRESUMO
In the present study, an extracellular copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (ecCuZnSOD) gene and a mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (mtMnSOD) gene were cloned from hemocytes of red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus. The open reading frame (ORF) of ecCuZnSOD is 498 bp and encodes a 166 amino acids (aa) protein, whereas the ORF of mtMnSOD is 654 bp and encodes a 218 aa protein. The amino acid sequences of C. quadricarinatus ecCuZnSOD and mtMnSOD showed high similarities with those of ecCuZnSODs and mtMnSODs of other crustaceans, respectively. Both ecCuZnSOD and mtMnSOD of C. quadricarinatus were highly expressed in hepatopancreas, hemocytes, intestine, and gill; low transcript levels were seen in other tissues (heart, muscle, and nerve). The immune responses of ecCuZnSOD and mtMnSOD were studied following inoculation with Spiroplasma eriocheiris and Aeromonas hydrophila. After S. eriocheiris or A. hydrophila challenge, mRNA transcription of ecCuZnSOD and mtMnSOD in hemocytes and gill was upregulated. mRNA transcription of ecCuZnSOD in the hepatopancreas was also upregulated after S. eriocheiris or A. hydrophila inoculation. mtMnSOD in hepatopancreas was upregulated after A. hydrophila inoculation, whereas this was down-regulated after S. eriocheiris challenge. After S. eriocheiris and A. hydrophila challenge, total SOD activity and CuZnSOD activity both increased compared to control group. The results showed that these SODs from C. quadricarinatus likely play an important role in protecting some tissues from reactive oxygen intermediates produced during challenge from S. eriocheiris and A. hydrophila.