scholarly journals Pathogen Recognition and Activation of the Innate Immune Response in Zebrafish

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiel van der Vaart ◽  
Herman P. Spaink ◽  
Annemarie H. Meijer
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Innate Immune Response ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Immune Effector ◽  
Innate Immune Effector

The zebrafish has proven itself as an excellent model to study vertebrate innate immunity. It presents us with possibilities forin vivoimaging of host-pathogen interactions which are unparalleled in mammalian model systems. In addition, its suitability for genetic approaches is providing new insights on the mechanisms underlying the innate immune response. Here, we review the pattern recognition receptors that identify invading microbes, as well as the innate immune effector mechanisms that they activate in zebrafish embryos. We compare the current knowledge about these processes in mammalian models and zebrafish and discuss recent studies using zebrafish infection models that have advanced our general understanding of the innate immune system. Furthermore, we use transcriptome analysis of zebrafish infected withE. tarda, S. typhimurium, andM. marinumto visualize the gene expression profiles resulting from these infections. Our data illustrate that the two acute disease-causing pathogens,E. tardaandS. typhimurium, elicit a highly similar proinflammatory gene induction profile, while the chronic disease-causing pathogen,M. marinum, induces a weaker and delayed innate immune response.

scholarly journals Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) Mitigates the Host Inflammatory Response during Clostridioides difficile Infection by Altering Gut Bile Acids

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenessa A. Winston ◽  
Alissa J. Rivera ◽  
Jingwei Cai ◽  
Rajani Thanissery ◽  
Stephanie A. Montgomery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Bile Acid ◽  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Innate Immune Response ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Colonization Resistance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile

ABSTRACT Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is associated with increasing morbidity and mortality posing an urgent threat to public health. Recurrence of CDI after successful treatment with antibiotics is high, thus necessitating discovery of novel therapeutics against this enteric pathogen. Administration of the secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA; ursodiol) inhibits the life cycles of various strains of C. difficile in vitro, suggesting that the FDA-approved formulation of UDCA, known as ursodiol, may be able to restore colonization resistance against C. difficile in vivo. However, the mechanism(s) by which ursodiol is able to restore colonization resistance against C. difficile remains unknown. Here, we confirmed that ursodiol inhibits C. difficile R20291 spore germination and outgrowth, growth, and toxin activity in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. In a murine model of CDI, exogenous administration of ursodiol resulted in significant alterations in the bile acid metabolome with little to no changes in gut microbial community structure. Ursodiol pretreatment resulted in attenuation of CDI pathogenesis early in the course of disease, which coincided with alterations in the cecal and colonic inflammatory transcriptome, bile acid-activated receptors nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and transmembrane G-protein-coupled membrane receptor 5 (TGR5), which are able to modulate the innate immune response through signaling pathways such as NF-κB. Although ursodiol pretreatment did not result in a consistent decrease in the C. difficile life cycle in vivo, it was able to attenuate an overly robust inflammatory response that is detrimental to the host during CDI. Ursodiol remains a viable nonantibiotic treatment and/or prevention strategy against CDI. Likewise, modulation of the host innate immune response via bile acid-activated receptors FXR and TGR5 represents a new potential treatment strategy for patients with CDI.

scholarly journals The Diverse Roles of the Global Transcriptional Regulator PhoP in the Lifecycle of Yersinia pestis

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1039
Author(s):  
Hana S. Fukuto ◽  
Gloria I. Viboud ◽  
Viveka Vadyvaloo
Keyword(s):  
Yersinia Pestis ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Acanthamoeba Castellanii ◽  
Wide Range

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has a complex infectious cycle that alternates between mammalian hosts (rodents and humans) and insect vectors (fleas). Consequently, it must adapt to a wide range of host environments to achieve successful propagation. Y. pestis PhoP is a response regulator of the PhoP/PhoQ two-component signal transduction system that plays a critical role in the pathogen’s adaptation to hostile conditions. PhoP is activated in response to various host-associated stress signals detected by the sensor kinase PhoQ and mediates changes in global gene expression profiles that lead to cellular responses. Y. pestis PhoP is required for resistance to antimicrobial peptides, as well as growth under low Mg2+ and other stress conditions, and controls a number of metabolic pathways, including an alternate carbon catabolism. Loss of phoP function in Y. pestis causes severe defects in survival inside mammalian macrophages and neutrophils in vitro, and a mild attenuation in murine plague models in vivo, suggesting its role in pathogenesis. A Y. pestisphoP mutant also exhibits reduced ability to form biofilm and to block fleas in vivo, indicating that the gene is also important for establishing a transmissible infection in this vector. Additionally, phoP promotes the survival of Y. pestis inside the soil-dwelling amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii, a potential reservoir while the pathogen is quiescent. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the mechanisms of PhoP-mediated gene regulation in Y. pestis and examine the significance of the roles played by the PhoP regulon at each stage of the Y. pestis life cycle.

scholarly journals Effects of Regulatory T Cell Depletion on NK Cell Responses against Listeria monocytogenes in Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Cats

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 984
Author(s):  
Simões ◽  
LaVoy ◽  
Dean
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Dendritic Cell ◽  
Innate Immune Response ◽  
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Treg Depletion ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus

Regulatory T cells (Treg) are key players in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance, preventing autoimmune diseases and restraining chronic inflammatory diseases. Evidence suggests Treg cells and NK cells have important roles in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) pathogenesis; however, in vivo studies investigating the interplay between these two cell populations are lacking. We previously described innate immune defects in FIV-infected cats characterized by cytokine deficits and impaired natural killer cell (NK) and NK T cell (NKT) functions. In this study, we investigated whether in vivo Treg depletion by treatment with an anti-feline CD25 monoclonal antibody would improve the innate immune response against subcutaneous challenge with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). Treg depletion resulted in an increased overall number of cells in Lm-draining lymph nodes and increased proliferation of NK and NKT cells in FIV-infected cats. Treg depletion did not normalize expression of perforin or granzyme A by NK and NKT cells, nor did Treg depletion result in improved clearance of Lm. Thus, despite the quantitative improvements in the NK and NKT cell responses to Lm, there was no functional improvement in the early control of Lm. CD1a+ dendritic cell percentages in the lymph nodes of FIV-infected cats were lower than in specific-pathogen-free control cats and failed to upregulate CD80 even when Treg were depleted. Taken together, Treg depletion failed to improve the innate immune response of FIV-infected cats against Lm and this may be due to dendritic cell dysfunction.

scholarly journals The Exopolysaccharide of Lactobacillus fermentum UCO-979C Is Partially Involved in Its Immunomodulatory Effect and Its Ability to Improve the Resistance against Helicobacter pylori Infection

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Valeria Garcia-Castillo ◽  
Guillermo Marcial ◽  
Leonardo Albarracín ◽  
Mikado Tomokiyo ◽  
Patricia Clua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Gastric Mucosa ◽  
Innate Immune Response ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Helicobacter Pylori Infection ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
H Pylori

Lactobacillus fermentum UCO-979C (Lf979C) beneficially modulates the cytokine response of gastric epithelial cells and macrophages after Helicobacter pylori infection in vitro. Nevertheless, no in vivo studies were performed with this strain to confirm its beneficial immunomodulatory effects. This work evaluated whether Lf979C improves protection against H. pylori infection in mice by modulating the innate immune response. In addition, we evaluated whether its exopolysaccharide (EPS) was involved in its beneficial effects. Lf979C significantly reduced TNF-α, IL-8, and MCP-1 and augmented IFN-γ and IL-10 in the gastric mucosa of H. pylori-infected mice. The differential cytokine profile induced by Lf979C in H. pylori-infected mice correlated with an improved reduction in the pathogen gastric colonization and protection against inflammatory damage. The purified EPS of Lf979C reduced IL-8 and enhanced IL-10 levels in the gastric mucosa of infected mice, while no effect was observed for IFN-γ. This work demonstrates for the first time the in vivo ability of Lf979C to increase resistance against H. pylori infection by modulating the gastric innate immune response. In addition, we advanced knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of Lf979C by demonstrating that its EPS is partially responsible for its immunomodulatory effect.

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