VI.Entamoeba histolytica: parasite-host interactions

2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (6) ◽  
pp. G1049-G1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel L. Stanley ◽  
Sharon L. Reed
Keyword(s):  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Host Response ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Intestinal Epithelial ◽  
Small Peptides ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Models Of Disease

The protozoan intestinal parasite Entamoeba histolytica remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. E. histolytica causes two major clinical syndromes, amebic colitis and amebic liver abscess. Recent advances in the development of in vitro and in vivo models of disease, new genetic approaches, the identification of key E. histolytica virulence factors, and the recognition of crucial elements of the host response to infection have led to significant insights into the pathogenesis of amebic infection. E. histolytica virulence factors include 1) a surface galactose binding lectin that mediates E. histolyticabinding to host cells and may contribute to amebic resistance to complement, 2) amebapores, small peptides capable of lysing cells, which may play a role in killing intestinal epithelial cells, hepatocytes, and host defense cells, and 3) a family of secreted cysteine proteinases that play a key role in E. histolytica tissue invasion, evasion of host defenses, and parasite induction of gut inflammation. Amebae can both lyse host cells and induce their suicide through programmed cell death. The host response is also an important factor in the outcome of infection, and neutrophils may play a key role in contributing to the tissue damage seen in amebiasis and in controlling amebic infection.

scholarly journals Heat-Labile Enterotoxin Promotes Escherichia coli Adherence to Intestinal Epithelial Cells

2008 ◽  
Vol 191 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber M. Johnson ◽  
Radhey S. Kaushik ◽  
David H. Francis ◽  
James M. Fleckenstein ◽  
Philip R. Hardwidge
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Intestinal Epithelial ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Heat Labile ◽  
Vitro Model ◽  
Bacterial Sensing

ABSTRACT Given recent evidence suggesting that the heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) provides a colonization advantage for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in vivo, we hypothesized that LT preconditions the host intestinal epithelium for ETEC adherence. To test this hypothesis, we used an in vitro model of ETEC adherence to examine the role of LT in promoting bacterium-host interactions. We present data demonstrating that elaboration of LT promotes a significant increase in E. coli adherence. This phenotype is primarily dependent on the inherent ADP-ribosylation activity of this toxin, with a secondary role observed for the receptor-binding LT-B subunit. Rp-3′,5′-cyclic AMP (cAMP), an inhibitor of protein kinase A, was sufficient to abrogate LT's ability to promote subsequent bacterial adherence. Increased adherence was not due to changes in the surface expression of the host receptor for the K88ac adhesin. Evidence is also presented for a role for bacterial sensing of host-derived cAMP in promoting adherence to host cells.

Potential for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases with Natural Products or Synthetic Compounds that Stabilize Microtubules

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (35) ◽  
pp. 4362-4372
Author(s):  
John H. Miller ◽  
Viswanath Das
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Synthetic Compounds ◽  
Stabilizing Agents ◽  
Animal Models Of Disease ◽  
Model Studies ◽  
Models Of Disease

No effective therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative diseases exist, despite significant attempts to find drugs that can reduce or rescue the debilitating symptoms of tauopathies such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Pick’s disease. A number of in vitro and in vivo models exist for studying neurodegenerative diseases, including cell models employing induced-pluripotent stem cells, cerebral organoids, and animal models of disease. Recent research has focused on microtubulestabilizing agents, either natural products or synthetic compounds that can prevent the axonal destruction caused by tau protein pathologies. Although promising results have come from animal model studies using brainpenetrant natural product microtubule-stabilizing agents, such as paclitaxel analogs that can access the brain, epothilones B and D, and other synthetic compounds such as davunetide or the triazolopyrimidines, early clinical trials in humans have been disappointing. This review aims to summarize the research that has been carried out in this area and discuss the potential for the future development of an effective microtubule stabilizing drug to treat neurodegenerative disease.

scholarly journals Organoids and Bioengineered Intestinal Models: Potential Solutions to the Cryptosporidium Culturing Dilemma

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Gunasekera ◽  
Alireza Zahedi ◽  
Mark O’Dea ◽  
Brendon King ◽  
Paul Monis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Protozoan Parasites ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Severe Diarrhea ◽  
Transformed Cell Lines ◽  
Gnotobiotic Piglets

Cryptosporidium is a major cause of severe diarrhea-related disease in children in developing countries, but currently no vaccine or effective treatment exists for those who are most at risk of serious illness. This is partly due to the lack of in vitro culturing methods that are able to support the entire Cryptosporidium life cycle, which has led to research in Cryptosporidium biology lagging behind other protozoan parasites. In vivo models such as gnotobiotic piglets are complex, and standard in vitro culturing methods in transformed cell lines, such as HCT-8 cells, have not been able to fully support fertilization occurring in vitro. Additionally, the Cryptosporidium life cycle has also been reported to occur in the absence of host cells. Recently developed bioengineered intestinal models, however, have shown more promising results and are able to reproduce a whole cycle of infectivity in one model system. This review evaluates the recent advances in Cryptosporidium culturing techniques and proposes future directions for research that may build upon these successes.

scholarly journals Good and Bad Neighbourhoods in Viral Sequence Space: Predicting, Altering, Targeting Virus Populations

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Marco Vignuzzi
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Space ◽  
Experimental Evolution ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Viral Population ◽  
Genome Composition ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Host Interactions

All viruses, but especially RNA viruses, generate tremendous diversity in genome composition, including point mutations, duplications, deletions, and insertions. We used in vitro and in vivo models to perform natural and directed experimental evolution. We then combined the resulting data with mathematical modelling to determine how virus populations occupy sequence space—a multidimensional hypercube that describes all combinations of nucleotide, codon, or amino acid sequences. In this study, we demonstrate how these experimental and computational approaches can help monitor, predict, alter, and even target virus evolution and population dynamics, creating new ways to study virus–host interactions and to innovate antiviral approaches. Using arboviruses, enteroviruses, and influenza, we recreate and predict host jumps and emergence events in the lab, redirect evolution towards the ‘bad’ neighbourhoods of sequence space that represent attenuation, and poison the viral population by disturbing the balance between good and bad genomes.

scholarly journals In vitro and in vivo models for assessing the host response to biomaterials

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila S. Saleh ◽  
Stephanie J. Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Host Response ◽  
In Vivo Models

scholarly journals A Conserved PapB Family Member, TosR, Regulates Expression of the Uropathogenic Escherichia coli RTX Nonfimbrial Adhesin TosA while Conserved LuxR Family Members TosE and TosF Suppress Motility

2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 3644-3656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Engstrom ◽  
Christopher J. Alteri ◽  
Harry L. T. Mobley
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Upper Urinary Tract ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Promoter Regions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tract Infections

ABSTRACTA heterogeneous subset of extraintestinal pathogenicEscherichia coli(ExPEC) strains, referred to as uropathogenicE. coli(UPEC), causes most uncomplicated urinary tract infections. However, no core set of virulence factors exists among UPEC strains. Instead, the focus of the analysis of urovirulence has shifted to studying broad classes of virulence factors and the interactions between them. For example, the RTX nonfimbrial adhesin TosA mediates adherence to host cells derived from the upper urinary tract. The associatedtosoperon is well expressedin vivobut poorly expressedin vitroand encodes TosCBD, a predicted type 1 secretion system. TosR and TosEF are PapB and LuxR family transcription factors, respectively; however, no role has been assigned to these potential regulators. Thus, the focus of this study was to determine how TosR and TosEF regulatetosAand affect the reciprocal expression of adhesins and flagella. Among a collection of sequenced UPEC strains, 32% (101/317) were found to encode TosA, and nearly all strains (91% [92/101]) simultaneously carried the putative regulatory genes. Deletion oftosRalleviatestosArepression. Thetospromoter was localized upstream oftosRusing transcriptional fusions of putative promoter regions withlacZ. TosR binds to this region, affecting a gel shift. A 100-bp fragment 220 to 319 bp upstream oftosRinhibits binding, suggesting localization of the TosR binding site. TosEF, on the other hand, downmodulate motility when overexpressed by preventing the expression offliC, encoding flagellin. Deletion oftosEFincreased motility. Thus, we present an additional example of the reciprocal control of adherence and motility.

scholarly journals Proteoglycans in host–pathogen interactions: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications

2010 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison H. Bartlett ◽  
Pyong Woo Park
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Core Proteins

Many microbial pathogens subvert proteoglycans for their adhesion to host tissues, invasion of host cells, infection of neighbouring cells, dissemination into the systemic circulation, and evasion of host defence mechanisms. Where studied, specific virulence factors mediate these proteoglycan–pathogen interactions, which are thus thought to affect the onset, progression and outcome of infection. Proteoglycans are composites of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains attached covalently to specific core proteins. Proteoglycans are expressed ubiquitously on the cell surface, in intracellular compartments, and in the extracellular matrix. GAGs mediate the majority of ligand-binding activities of proteoglycans, and many microbial pathogens elaborate cell-surface and secreted factors that interact with GAGs. Some pathogens also modulate the expression and function of proteoglycans through known virulence factors. Several GAG-binding pathogens can no longer attach to and invade host cells whose GAG expression has been reduced by mutagenesis or enzymatic treatment. Furthermore, GAG antagonists have been shown to inhibit microbial attachment and host cell entry in vitro and reduce virulence in vivo. Together, these observations underscore the biological significance of proteoglycan–pathogen interactions in infectious diseases.

In Vitro and in Vivo Models for Pathogenic Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infections

2021 ◽  
pp. 111-143
Author(s):  
Karthikeyan Ramalingam ◽  
Sucharithra Ganesh
Keyword(s):  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Sexually Transmitted Diseases ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
General Aspects ◽  
General Community

The prevalence of gonorrhea has not discontinued in several countries and still remains as one of the top sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and it's caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This bacterium gains entry into the human host via receptors, and by the usage of several virulence factors, it manages to spread through the cells and leads to severe complications. The study of these bacteria in various in vitro and in vivo models have paved the way for gaining insights on various aspects of bacterial infection, such as the study of pathogenesis of the organism in the host. It also drove the development of more appropriate drugs for the treatment of the gonorrhea illness caused by this ‘superbug'. This chapter focuses on providing a concise overview on the general aspects of N. gonorrhoeaeas an update and the in vitro and in vivo models used for understanding this bacterium over the years. Despite gonorrhea not being a rare STD, it is still a big challenge for researchers, healthcare professionals, and communicators with public awareness to communicate effectively with the general community.

scholarly journals Bmh1p (14-3-3) mediates pathways associated with virulence in Candida albicans

Microbiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 155 (5) ◽  
pp. 1536-1546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle N. Kelly ◽  
Douglas A. Johnston ◽  
Bethany A. Peel ◽  
Timothy W. Morgan ◽  
Glen E. Palmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Pathogenic Fungus ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Lag Phase ◽  
Models Of Disease

The ability of the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans to cause disease requires rapid adaptation to changes in the host environment and to an evolving host immune response. The identification of ‘virulence factors’ using in vitro characterization of mutant strains has traditionally relied on a common set of phenotypic and biochemical assays (most often performed at 30 °C) and the subsequent correlation with their corresponding virulence in mouse models of disease. Utilizing a panel of isogenic mutants for the multifunctional signal-modulating 14-3-3 protein (Bmh1p), we have found that specific mutations affect a variety of different pathways currently associated with virulence, including those involved with the formation of filaments, as well as interaction with host immune cells. Surprisingly, our studies revealed that deficiencies in many of these pathways do not always correlate with virulence in a mouse model of disseminated infection. Mutations within the binding pocket of Bmh1p that affect the ability of the protein to efficiently bind ligand had varying effects on the results of a number of in vitro and in vivo assays. The capability, in vitro, to filament in embedment conditions, and to filament and form chlamydospores under microaerophilic conditions on cornmeal agar, does not correlate with virulence. It is likely that only a subset of hyphal signalling pathways is actually required for the establishment of infection in the disseminated mouse model. Most importantly, our results suggest that the delayed onset of lag-phase growth in vitro at 37 °C, and not at 30 °C, results in an inability of these mutants to rapidly adjust to environmental changes in vivo and may be responsible for their increased clearance and reduced virulence. It is critical, therefore, that future in vitro studies of putative virulence factors in C. albicans include careful characterization at physiological temperatures.

Microvesiculation and Disease

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jameel M. Inal ◽  
Una Fairbrother ◽  
Sheelagh Heugh
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Models Of Disease ◽  
New Treatments ◽  
Acute Myeloid

The important roles of extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of various diseases are rapidly being elucidated. As important vehicles of intercellular communication, extracellular vesicles, which comprise microvesicles and exosomes, are revealing important roles in cancer tumorigenesis and metastases and in the spread of infectious disease. The September 2012 Focused Meeting ‘Microvesiculation and Disease’ brought together researchers working on extracellular vesicles. The papers in this issue of Biochemical Society Transactions review work in areas including HIV infection, kidney disease, hypoxia-mediated tumorigenesis and down-regulation of immune cell functions in acute myeloid leukaemia by tumour-derived exosomes. In all cases, microvesicles and exosomes have been demonstrated to be important factors leading to the pathophysiology of disease or indeed as therapeutic vehicles in possible new treatments. The aim was, having enhanced our molecular understanding of the contribution of microvesicles and exosomes to disease in vitro, to begin to apply this knowledge to in vivo models of disease.

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