scholarly journals A Review on Host-Leptospira Interactions: What We Know and Future Expectations

Author(s):  
Brenda B. Daroz ◽  
Luis G. V. Fernandes ◽  
Maria F. Cavenague ◽  
Leandro T. Kochi ◽  
Felipe J. Passalia ◽  
...  

Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. It is considered a neglected infectious disease of human and veterinary concern. Our group has been investigating proteins annotated as hypothetical, predicted to be located on the leptospiral surface. Because of their location, these proteins may have the ability to interact with various host components, which could allow establishment of the infection. These proteins act as adherence factors by binding to host receptor molecules, such as the extracellular matrix (ECM) components laminin and glycosaminoglycans to help bacterial colonization. Leptospira also interacts with the host fibrinolytic system, which has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool for invasion mechanisms. The interaction with fibrinogen and thrombin has been shown to reduce fibrin clot formation. Additionally, the degradation of coagulation cascade components by secreted proteases or by acquired surface plasmin could also play a role in reducing clot formation, hence facilitating dissemination during infection. Interaction with host complement system regulators also plays a role in helping bacteria to evade the immune system, facilitating invasion. Interaction of Leptospira to cell receptors, such as cadherins, can contribute to investigate molecules that participate in virulence. To achieve a better understanding of the host-pathogen interaction, leptospiral mutagenesis tools have been developed and explored. This work presents several proteins that mediate binding to components of the ECM, plasma, components of the complement system and cells, to gather research achievements that can be helpful in better understanding the mechanisms of leptospiral-host interactions and discuss genetic manipulation for Leptospira spp. aimed at protein function validation.

2021 ◽  
pp. 104063872199186
Author(s):  
Tomoko Iwanaga ◽  
Ryuji Fukushima ◽  
Tomoka Nagasato ◽  
Ikuro Maruyama ◽  
Naoki Miura

To date, coagulation tests are unable to reflect in vivo coagulation status in the same system, including platelet function, fibrin clot formation, and whole blood flow. The Total Thrombus Analysis System (T-TAS), which is a microfluidic assay that simulates conditions in vivo, measures whole blood flow at defined shear rates under conditions designed to assess platelet function (PL-chip) or coagulation and fibrin clot formation (AR-chip). The T-TAS records occlusion start time, occlusion time, and area under the curve. We evaluated this test in healthy control dogs. We also investigated the effect in vivo of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and the effect in vitro of an anticoagulation drug (dalteparin; low-molecular-weight heparin; LMWH). The CV of the AUC of both chips was good (CVs of 6.45% [PL] and 1.57% [AR]). The inhibition of platelet function by ASA was evident in the right-shift in the PL test pressure curve. The right-shift in the AR test pressure curves showed that the administration of LMWH inhibited both platelets and the coagulation cascade. The T-TAS may be useful in the evaluation of canine blood coagulation.


1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (02) ◽  
pp. 244-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aura S Kamiguti ◽  
Joseph R Slupsky ◽  
Mirko Zuzel ◽  
Charles R M Hay

SummaryHaemorrhagic metalloproteinases from Bothrops jararaca and other venoms degrade vessel-wall and plasma proteins involved in platelet plug and fibrin clot formation. These enzymes also cause proteolytic digestion of fibrinogen which has been suggested to cause defective platelet function. Fibrinogen degradation by jararhagin, a metalloproteinase from B. jararaca, and the effect of jararhagin fibrinogenolysis on both platelet aggregation and fibrin clot formation were investigated. Jararhagin was found to cleave human fibrinogen in the C-terminal region of the Aα-chain giving rise to a 285-290 kDa fibrinogen molecule lacking the Aα-chain RGD 572-574 platelet-binding site. Platelet binding and aggregation of ADP-activated platelets is unaffected by this modification. This indicates that the lost site is not essential for platelet aggregation, and that the remaining platelet binding sites located in the N-terminal portion of Aα chains (RGD 95-97) and the C-terminal of γ chains (dodecapeptide 400-411) are unaffected by jararhagin-digestion of fibrinogen. Fibrin clot formation with thrombin of this remnant fibrinogen molecule was defective, with poor polymerization of fibrin monomers but normal release of FPA. The abnormal polymerization could be explained by the loss of one of the two complementary polymerization sites required for side-by-side association of fibrin protofibrils. Jararhagin-induced inhibition of platelet function, an important cause of haemorrhage in envenomed patients, is not caused by proteolysis of fibrinogen, as had been thought, and the mechanism remains to be elucidated.


1976 ◽  
Vol 36 (01) ◽  
pp. 037-048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric P. Brass ◽  
Walter B. Forman ◽  
Robert V. Edwards ◽  
Olgierd Lindan

SummaryThe process of fibrin formation using highly purified fibrinogen and thrombin was studied using laser fluctuation spectroscopy, a method that rapidly determines particle size in a solution. Two periods in fibrin clot formation were noted: an induction period during which no fibrin polymerization occurred and a period of rapid increase in particle size. Direct measurement of fibrin monomer polymerization and fibrinopeptide release showed no evidence of an induction period. These observations were best explained by a kinetic model for fibrin clot formation incorporating a reversible fibrinogen-fibrin monomer complex. In this model, the complex serves as a buffer system during the earliest phase of fibrin formation. This prevents the accumulation of free polymerizable fibrin monomer until an appreciable amount of fibrinogen has reacted with thrombin, at which point the fibrin monomer level rises rapidly and polymerization proceeds. Clinically, the complex may be a homeostatic mechanism preventing pathological clotting during periods of elevated fibrinogen.


RMD Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e001751
Author(s):  
Berthold Hoppe ◽  
Christian Schwedler ◽  
Hildrun Haibel ◽  
Maryna Verba ◽  
Fabian Proft ◽  
...  

ObjectiveGenetic determinants of fibrin clot formation and fibrinolysis have an impact on local and systemic inflammatory response. The aim of the present study was to assess whether coagulation-related genotypes affect the predictive value of C-reactive protein (CRP) in regards of radiographic spinal progression in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).MethodsTwo hundred and eight patients with axSpA from the German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort were characterised for genotypes of α-fibrinogen, β-fibrinogen (FGB) and γ-fibrinogen, factor XIII A-subunit (F13A) and α2-antiplasmin (A2AP). The relation between CRP levels and radiographic spinal progression defined as worsening of the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS) by ≥2 points over 2 years was assessed in dependence on the respective genetic background in logistic regression analyses.ResultsOverall, CRP was associated with mSASSS progression ≥2 points: time-averaged CRP ≥10 mg/L, OR: 3.32, 95% CI 1.35 to 8.13. After stratification for coagulation-related genotypes, CRP was strongly associated with mSASSS progression in individuals predisposed to form loose, fibrinolysis-susceptible fibrin clots (FGB rs1800790GG, OR: 6.86, 95% CI 2.08 to 22.6; A2AP 6Trp, OR: 5.86, 95% CI 1.63 to 21.0; F13A 34Leu, OR: 8.72, 95% CI 1.69 to 45.1), while in genotypes predisposing to stable fibrin clots, the association was absent or weak (FGB rs1800790A, OR: 0.83, 95% CI 0.14 to 4.84; A2AP 6Arg/Arg, OR: 1.47, 95% CI 0.35 to 6.19; F13A 34Val/Val, OR: 1.72, 95% CI 0.52 to 5.71).ConclusionsElevated CRP levels seem to be clearly associated with radiographic spinal progression only if patients are predisposed for loose fibrin clots with high susceptibility to fibrinolysis.


1992 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Groth ◽  
Katrin Derdau ◽  
Frank Strietzel ◽  
Frank Foerster ◽  
Hartmut Wolf

Twenty years ago Imai & Nose introduced a whole-blood clotting test for the estimation of haemocompatibility of biomaterials in vitro In our paper a modification of this assay is described and the mechanism of clot formation further elucidated. It was found that neither the inhibition of platelet function nor the removal of platelets from blood significantly changed the clot formation rate on glass and polyvinyl chloride in comparison to the rate tor whole blood. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that platelets were not involved in clot formation near the blood/biomaterial interface. Thus, it was concluded that the system of contact activation of the coagulation cascade dominates during clot formation under static conditions. The latter conclusion was supported by the fact that preadsorption of human serum albumin or human fibrinogen onto the glass plates used, decreased the clot formation rate in the same manner.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Julie Brogaard Larsen ◽  
Anne-Mette Hvas

Disturbance in the balance between fibrin formation and fibrinolysis can lead to either bleeding or thrombosis; however, our current routine coagulation assays are not sensitive to altered fibrinolysis. The clot formation and lysis assay is a dynamic plasma-based analysis that assesses the patient’s capacity for fibrin formation and fibrinolysis by adding an activator of coagulation as well as fibrinolysis to plasma and measuring ex vivo fibrin clot formation and breakdown over time. This assay provides detailed information on the fibrinolytic activity but is currently used for research only, as the assay is prone to inter-laboratory variation and as it demands experienced laboratory technicians as well as specialized personnel to validate and interpret the results. Here, we describe a protocol for the clot formation and lysis assay used at our research laboratory.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Vitale ◽  
Tianhui Ma ◽  
Michael J Solomon ◽  
J. Scott VanEpps

Bacterial infection is known to increase the risk for thromboembolism. The mechanism underlying this correlation remains largely unknown. We recently showed that the common pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis retards clot formation, increases clot elasticity and generates a heterogeneous clot structure that remodels over time. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of this process by evaluating the capacity for S. epidermidis to bind to fibrinogen as a function of its growth phase. We hypothesized that the effect of S. epidermidis on a fibrin clot is related to its propensity toward biofilm formation. Therefore, stationary phase (biofilm-like) S. epidermidis will have a more robust effect on clot kinetics and elasticity than exponential phase (planktonic). Furthermore, this difference is mediated by increased adhesion to fibrinogen. Rheometry was used to evaluate the formation and resultant elasticity of fibrin clots with exponential or stationary phase S. epidermidis . A functional in vitro model was developed to evaluate adhesion of S. epidermidis to a fibrinogen coated surface in a continuously flowing environment. Fluorescent labeled exponential and stationary phase S. epidermidis were visualized flowing through a parallel plate microfluidic chamber past immobilized fibrinogen. Images were obtained every 3 seconds for 30 min. Bacterial deposition rate and mean adhesion time were quantified by automated image analysis. A paired Student’s t-test was used for statistical analysis. Stationary phase S. epidermidis retards clot formation and increases resultant elasticity while exponential phase only slightly reduces elasticity. The bacterial deposition rate onto fibrinogen was significantly (p=0.03) greater for stationary phase (1741 ± 1513 cells/cm 2 · sec -1 ) vs exponential phase (676 ± 270 cells/cm 2 · sec -1 ). The average adhesion time however was similar for exponential and stationary phase cells. Coagulation proteins can provide a framework for bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation and infection. In turn infected thrombi with (biofilm-like) bacteria are stiffer which correlates to more frequent bacterial binding to fibrinogen. This provides a potential molecular mechanism for infection mediated thromboembolic events.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (680) ◽  
pp. eaaw4673
Author(s):  
Natalia Zamorano Cuervo ◽  
Audray Fortin ◽  
Elise Caron ◽  
Stéfany Chartier ◽  
Nathalie Grandvaux

Protein function is regulated by posttranslational modifications (PTMs), among which reversible oxidation of cysteine residues has emerged as a key regulatory mechanism of cellular responses. Given the redox regulation of virus-host interactions, the identification of oxidized cysteine sites in cells is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms involved. Here, we present a proteome-wide identification of reversibly oxidized cysteine sites in oxidant-treated cells using a maleimide-based bioswitch method coupled to mass spectrometry analysis. We identified 2720 unique oxidized cysteine sites within 1473 proteins with distinct abundances, locations, and functions. Oxidized cysteine sites were found in numerous signaling pathways, many relevant to virus-host interactions. We focused on the oxidation of STING, the central adaptor of the innate immune type I interferon pathway, which is stimulated in response to the detection of cytosolic DNA by cGAS. We demonstrated the reversible oxidation of Cys148 and Cys206 of STING in cells. Molecular analyses led us to establish a model in which Cys148 oxidation is constitutive, whereas Cys206 oxidation is inducible by oxidative stress or by the natural ligand of STING, 2′3′-cGAMP. Our data suggest that the oxidation of Cys206 prevented hyperactivation of STING by causing a conformational change associated with the formation of inactive polymers containing intermolecular disulfide bonds. This finding should aid the design of therapies targeting STING that are relevant to autoinflammatory disorders, immunotherapies, and vaccines.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja C. J. H. Chua ◽  
Hui Qing Tan ◽  
David Engelberg ◽  
Lina H. K. Lim

Ninety years after the discovery of the virus causing the influenza disease, this malady remains one of the biggest public health threats to mankind. Currently available drugs and vaccines only partially reduce deaths and hospitalizations. Some of the reasons for this disturbing situation stem from the sophistication of the viral machinery, but another reason is the lack of a complete understanding of the molecular and physiological basis of viral infections and host–pathogen interactions. Even the functions of the influenza proteins, their mechanisms of action and interaction with host proteins have not been fully revealed. These questions have traditionally been studied in mammalian animal models, mainly ferrets and mice (as well as pigs and non-human primates) and in cell lines. Although obviously relevant as models to humans, these experimental systems are very complex and are not conveniently accessible to various genetic, molecular and biochemical approaches. The fact that influenza remains an unsolved problem, in combination with the limitations of the conventional experimental models, motivated increasing attempts to use the power of other models, such as low eukaryotes, including invertebrate, and primary cell cultures. In this review, we summarized the efforts to study influenza in yeast, Drosophila, zebrafish and primary human tissue cultures and the major contributions these studies have made toward a better understanding of the disease. We feel that these models are still under-utilized and we highlight the unique potential each model has for better comprehending virus–host interactions and viral protein function.


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