Cruzipain promotes Trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.

<h4>Background</h4>Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas' disease. Cysteine peptidases are relevant to several aspects of the T. cruzi life cycle and are implicated in parasite-mammalian host relationships. However, little is known about the factors that contribute to...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lívia Almeida Uehara, Otacílio C Moreira, Ana Carolina Oliveira, Patrícia Azambuja, Ana Paula Cabral Araujo Lima, Constança Britto, André Luis Souza dos Santos, Marta Helena Branquinha, Claudia Masini d'Avila-Levy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001958&type=printable
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849720424474083328
author Lívia Almeida Uehara
Otacílio C Moreira
Ana Carolina Oliveira
Patrícia Azambuja
Ana Paula Cabral Araujo Lima
Constança Britto
André Luis Souza dos Santos
Marta Helena Branquinha
Claudia Masini d'Avila-Levy
author_facet Lívia Almeida Uehara
Otacílio C Moreira
Ana Carolina Oliveira
Patrícia Azambuja
Ana Paula Cabral Araujo Lima
Constança Britto
André Luis Souza dos Santos
Marta Helena Branquinha
Claudia Masini d'Avila-Levy
author_sort Lívia Almeida Uehara
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas' disease. Cysteine peptidases are relevant to several aspects of the T. cruzi life cycle and are implicated in parasite-mammalian host relationships. However, little is known about the factors that contribute to the parasite-insect host interaction.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>Here, we have investigated whether cruzipain could be involved in the interaction of T. cruzi with the invertebrate host. We analyzed the effect of treatment of T. cruzi epimastigotes with anti-cruzipain antibodies or with a panel of cysteine peptidase inhibitors (cystatin, antipain, E-64, leupeptin, iodocetamide or CA-074-OMe) on parasite adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus posterior midgut ex vivo. All treatments, with the exception of CA074-OMe, significantly decreased parasite adhesion to R. prolixus midgut. Cystatin presented a dose-dependent reduction on the adhesion. Comparison of the adhesion rate among several T. cruzi isolates revealed that the G isolate, which naturally possesses low levels of active cruzipain, adhered to a lesser extent in comparison to Dm28c, Y and CL Brener isolates. Transgenic epimastigotes overexpressing an endogenous cruzipain inhibitor (pCHAG), chagasin, and that have reduced levels of active cruzipain adhered to the insect gut 73% less than the wild-type parasites. The adhesion of pCHAG parasites was partially restored by the addition of exogenous cruzipain. In vivo colonization experiments revealed low levels of pCHAG parasites in comparison to wild-type. Parasites isolated after passage in the insect presented a drastic enhancement in the expression of surface cruzipain.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>These data highlight, for the first time, that cruzipain contributes to the interaction of T. cruzi with the insect host.
format Article
id doaj-art-bd3b1bd32fb649d6a199667b4ed5570a
institution DOAJ
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
publishDate 2012-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj-art-bd3b1bd32fb649d6a199667b4ed5570a2025-08-20T03:11:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352012-01-01612e195810.1371/journal.pntd.0001958Cruzipain promotes Trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.Lívia Almeida UeharaOtacílio C MoreiraAna Carolina OliveiraPatrícia AzambujaAna Paula Cabral Araujo LimaConstança BrittoAndré Luis Souza dos SantosMarta Helena BranquinhaClaudia Masini d'Avila-Levy<h4>Background</h4>Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas' disease. Cysteine peptidases are relevant to several aspects of the T. cruzi life cycle and are implicated in parasite-mammalian host relationships. However, little is known about the factors that contribute to the parasite-insect host interaction.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>Here, we have investigated whether cruzipain could be involved in the interaction of T. cruzi with the invertebrate host. We analyzed the effect of treatment of T. cruzi epimastigotes with anti-cruzipain antibodies or with a panel of cysteine peptidase inhibitors (cystatin, antipain, E-64, leupeptin, iodocetamide or CA-074-OMe) on parasite adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus posterior midgut ex vivo. All treatments, with the exception of CA074-OMe, significantly decreased parasite adhesion to R. prolixus midgut. Cystatin presented a dose-dependent reduction on the adhesion. Comparison of the adhesion rate among several T. cruzi isolates revealed that the G isolate, which naturally possesses low levels of active cruzipain, adhered to a lesser extent in comparison to Dm28c, Y and CL Brener isolates. Transgenic epimastigotes overexpressing an endogenous cruzipain inhibitor (pCHAG), chagasin, and that have reduced levels of active cruzipain adhered to the insect gut 73% less than the wild-type parasites. The adhesion of pCHAG parasites was partially restored by the addition of exogenous cruzipain. In vivo colonization experiments revealed low levels of pCHAG parasites in comparison to wild-type. Parasites isolated after passage in the insect presented a drastic enhancement in the expression of surface cruzipain.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>These data highlight, for the first time, that cruzipain contributes to the interaction of T. cruzi with the insect host.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001958&type=printable
spellingShingle Lívia Almeida Uehara
Otacílio C Moreira
Ana Carolina Oliveira
Patrícia Azambuja
Ana Paula Cabral Araujo Lima
Constança Britto
André Luis Souza dos Santos
Marta Helena Branquinha
Claudia Masini d'Avila-Levy
Cruzipain promotes Trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Cruzipain promotes Trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.
title_full Cruzipain promotes Trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.
title_fullStr Cruzipain promotes Trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.
title_full_unstemmed Cruzipain promotes Trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.
title_short Cruzipain promotes Trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.
title_sort cruzipain promotes trypanosoma cruzi adhesion to rhodnius prolixus midgut
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001958&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT liviaalmeidauehara cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut
AT otaciliocmoreira cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut
AT anacarolinaoliveira cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut
AT patriciaazambuja cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut
AT anapaulacabralaraujolima cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut
AT constancabritto cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut
AT andreluissouzadossantos cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut
AT martahelenabranquinha cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut
AT claudiamasinidavilalevy cruzipainpromotestrypanosomacruziadhesiontorhodniusprolixusmidgut