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Biomedical subjects

G Szalay

Publications and source records attributed to G Szalay.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Listeria monocytogenes p60 supports host cell invasion by and in vivo survival of attenuated Salmonella typhimurium.

The extracellular protein p60 is a major virulence factor of the intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Its roles in pathogen survival in vivo and host cell invasion in vitro were studied. To this end, Salmonella typhimurium SL7207 was used as carrier for secreted p60-HlyA fusion protein by Escherichia coli HlyB and HlyD transport proteins. C57BL/6 mice infected intravenously with this strain suffered from increased bacterial numbers in livers and spleens compared with the p60-nonexpressing control strain, but only transiently. In vitro experiments showed that p60 promotes invasion of recombinant S. typhimurium SL7207 p60 into hepatocytes and resting macrophages independent from complement. Moreover, the uptake of wild-type L. monocytogenes EGD and L. monocytogenes BUG 8, an internalin-deficient strain, into hepatocytes was partially blocked by anti-p60 antibodies. The impaired invasion of dissociated bacterial chains of L. monocytogenes RIII, a p60 expression mutant, into hepatocytes and macrophages was partially restored by addition of p60- or p60-HlyA-enriched bacterial supernatants. These data suggest that the L. monocytogenes surface-associated proteins, p60 and internalin, act in concert to achieve optimal uptake into nonprofessional phagocytes and macrophages. Together, these experiments reveal a substantial impact of p60 on cell invasion and virulence and thus emphasize the importance of the intracellular habitat for survival of L. monocytogenes in the host.

Animals

Restricted replication of Listeria monocytogenes in a gamma interferon-activated murine hepatocyte line.

The intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes replicates mainly in resting macrophages and hepatocytes residing in infected tissues. Both innate and acquired resistance strongly depend on activation of listericidal capacities of macrophages by gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) produced by natural killer cells and T lymphocytes. In contrast to macrophages, hepatocytes have been considered to serve purely as a cellular habitat, prolonging survival of the pathogen in the host. By using an immortalized murine hepatocyte line, the relationship between L. monocytogenes and this cell type has been analyzed in more detail. Our data reveal that hepatocytes are able to eradicate listeriolysin-deficient (avirulent) L. monocytogenes but fail to control growth of listeriolysin-expressing (virulent) L. monocytogenes organisms. Following stimulation with IFN-gamma, hepatocytes gained the capacity to restrict growth of virulent L. monocytogenes, although less efficiently than the highly listericidal IFN-gamma-activated macrophages. Hepatocytes costimulated with a combination of IFN-gamma, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) expressed the highest antilisterial activities. Although IFN-gamma-stimulated hepatocytes produced demonstrable levels of reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI), the results of inhibition studies do not support a major role for these molecules in antilisterial hepatocyte activities. In contrast, inhibition of RNI produced by macrophages neutralized their antilisterial effects. IFN-gamma-stimulated, L. monocytogenes-infected hepatocytes expressed TNF-alpha mRNA, suggesting that they are a source of this cytokine during listeriosis. These studies suggest a novel function for hepatocytes in listeriosis: first, IFN-gamma-stimulated hepatocytes could contribute to listerial growth restriction in the liver, and second, through secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, they could promote phagocyte influx to the site of listerial growth.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases

Presentation of Listeria monocytogenes antigens by major histocompatibility complex class I molecules to CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes independent of listeriolysin secretion and virulence.

Virulence and intracellular persistence of Listeria monocytogenes markedly depend on secretion of listeriolysin (Hly), which promotes invasion of the pathogen from the endosome into the cytosol. Recent studies have provided compelling evidence that Hly also facilitates recognition of listerial antigens, in association with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, by CD8 T lymphocytes. Data presented here confirm that the Hly-deficient strains, the prfA- mutant L. monocytogenes SLCC53 and the transposon mutants L. monocytogenes M3 and M20 are avirulent for mice, and unable to replicate inside bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM phi). Furthermore, BMM phi infected with M3, M20 or SLCC53 were as efficiently lysed as BMM phi infected with the Hly-positive wild-type strain EGD by MHC class I-dependent CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Using the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction method, hly mRNA was detectable in BMM phi infected with L. monocytogenes EGD or SLCC53, but totally absent in M3-infected BMM phi. In the case of M20, an excision of the transposon occurred, but the excision was not precise and the hly gene was approximately 400 base pairs shorter. These findings argue against a unique role for Hly in MHC class I presentation of listerial antigens, although Hly appears central to virulence and intracellular replication. Thus, virulence of L. monocytogenes is dissociable from MHC class I presentation of listerial antigens.

Animals

Enteric duplications.

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Congenital Abnormalities