Cysteine Peptidase B Regulates Leishmania mexicana Virulence through the Modulation of GP63 Expression.

Cysteine peptidases play a central role in the biology of Leishmania. In this work, we sought to further elucidate the mechanism(s) by which the cysteine peptidase CPB contributes to L. mexicana virulence and whether CPB participates in the formation of large communal parasitophorous vacuoles induce...

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Main Authors: Pierre-André Casgrain, Caroline Martel, W Robert McMaster, Jeremy C Mottram, Martin Olivier, Albert Descoteaux
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-05-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005658
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author Pierre-André Casgrain
Caroline Martel
W Robert McMaster
Jeremy C Mottram
Martin Olivier
Albert Descoteaux
author_facet Pierre-André Casgrain
Caroline Martel
W Robert McMaster
Jeremy C Mottram
Martin Olivier
Albert Descoteaux
author_sort Pierre-André Casgrain
collection DOAJ
description Cysteine peptidases play a central role in the biology of Leishmania. In this work, we sought to further elucidate the mechanism(s) by which the cysteine peptidase CPB contributes to L. mexicana virulence and whether CPB participates in the formation of large communal parasitophorous vacuoles induced by these parasites. We initially examined the impact of L. mexicana infection on the trafficking of VAMP3 and VAMP8, two endocytic SNARE proteins associated with phagolysosome biogenesis and function. Using a CPB-deficient mutant, we found that both VAMP3 and VAMP8 were down-modulated in a CPB-dependent manner. We also discovered that expression of the virulence-associated GPI-anchored metalloprotease GP63 was inhibited in the absence of CPB. Expression of GP63 in the CPB-deficient mutant was sufficient to down-modulate VAMP3 and VAMP8. Similarly, episomal expression of GP63 enabled the CPB-deficient mutant to establish infection in macrophages, induce the formation of large communal parasitophorous vacuoles, and cause lesions in mice. These findings implicate CPB in the regulation of GP63 expression and provide evidence that both GP63 and CPB are key virulence factors in L. mexicana.
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spelling doaj-art-8a92e242a4f14252aae9a60c7ff707a42025-08-20T03:26:16ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742016-05-01125e100565810.1371/journal.ppat.1005658Cysteine Peptidase B Regulates Leishmania mexicana Virulence through the Modulation of GP63 Expression.Pierre-André CasgrainCaroline MartelW Robert McMasterJeremy C MottramMartin OlivierAlbert DescoteauxCysteine peptidases play a central role in the biology of Leishmania. In this work, we sought to further elucidate the mechanism(s) by which the cysteine peptidase CPB contributes to L. mexicana virulence and whether CPB participates in the formation of large communal parasitophorous vacuoles induced by these parasites. We initially examined the impact of L. mexicana infection on the trafficking of VAMP3 and VAMP8, two endocytic SNARE proteins associated with phagolysosome biogenesis and function. Using a CPB-deficient mutant, we found that both VAMP3 and VAMP8 were down-modulated in a CPB-dependent manner. We also discovered that expression of the virulence-associated GPI-anchored metalloprotease GP63 was inhibited in the absence of CPB. Expression of GP63 in the CPB-deficient mutant was sufficient to down-modulate VAMP3 and VAMP8. Similarly, episomal expression of GP63 enabled the CPB-deficient mutant to establish infection in macrophages, induce the formation of large communal parasitophorous vacuoles, and cause lesions in mice. These findings implicate CPB in the regulation of GP63 expression and provide evidence that both GP63 and CPB are key virulence factors in L. mexicana.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005658
spellingShingle Pierre-André Casgrain
Caroline Martel
W Robert McMaster
Jeremy C Mottram
Martin Olivier
Albert Descoteaux
Cysteine Peptidase B Regulates Leishmania mexicana Virulence through the Modulation of GP63 Expression.
PLoS Pathogens
title Cysteine Peptidase B Regulates Leishmania mexicana Virulence through the Modulation of GP63 Expression.
title_full Cysteine Peptidase B Regulates Leishmania mexicana Virulence through the Modulation of GP63 Expression.
title_fullStr Cysteine Peptidase B Regulates Leishmania mexicana Virulence through the Modulation of GP63 Expression.
title_full_unstemmed Cysteine Peptidase B Regulates Leishmania mexicana Virulence through the Modulation of GP63 Expression.
title_short Cysteine Peptidase B Regulates Leishmania mexicana Virulence through the Modulation of GP63 Expression.
title_sort cysteine peptidase b regulates leishmania mexicana virulence through the modulation of gp63 expression
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005658
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