单增李斯特菌胎盘感染的体内外模型研究进展

单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌（Listeria monocytogenes）是重要的食源性致病菌,能引发人类的李斯特菌病,是全球公共卫生问题之一。该菌易感染孕妇,引起胎儿和新生儿的侵袭性李斯特菌病,严重威胁母婴健康。因此,建立有效的单增李斯特菌感染胎盘体内外模型,解析和探究单增李斯特菌经胎盘感染机制,是预防和控制单增李斯特菌感染母婴的关键所在。本文综述了可用于研究单增李斯特菌母婴感染的体内外胎盘模型,总结和讨论了各类模型的优势和局限性;并着重分析了体外三维胎盘屏障模型在单增李斯特菌感染方面的研究进展和未来研究方向。以期为深入解析该菌经胎盘感染的途径、发病机制提供支持,并为预防和控制母婴李斯特菌病提供科学参考。     

单核细胞增多性李斯特菌OpuCA蛋白介导抗氧化应激和宿主感染研究

【目的】本文旨在研究opuCA基因在单核细胞增多性李斯特菌(单增李斯特菌)生长过程及渗透胁迫下发挥的作用,探究opuCA基因参与细菌抗氧化应激和致病力的生物学功能,为阐明OpuCA蛋白介导细菌环境适应和宿主内感染的机制奠定基础。【方法】利用细菌同源重组方法获得opuCA缺失株及回补株后,通过分子生物学、感染生物学和激光共聚焦技术,研究野生株和突变株的生长能力、抗渗透应激能力、抗氧化应激能力、细胞粘附、侵袭以及胞内增殖能力。【结果】缺失opuCA基因后,李斯特菌体外生长能力并没有受到影响,但在渗透条件下生长能力减弱;opuCA缺失株在铜离子和镉离子中抗氧化应激能力降低,但在巯基特异性氧化剂肼应激中无明显变化;opuCA缺失株在细胞中的侵袭能力显著减弱,且缺失该基因导致细菌聚合actin能力下降,进而影响了细菌在胞间迁移。【结论】本研究首次证实了缺失opuCA基因能降低单增李斯特菌抗氧化应激能力和感染宿主能力,并且在渗透胁迫下细菌生长能力减弱,但具体的分子机制有待深入研究。本研究有助于深入理解单增李斯特菌OpuCA蛋白介导的细菌体外环境适应及宿主内感染的分子机制,为防控单增李斯特菌感染提供...     

单增李斯特菌溶血素O的功能研究进展

单核细胞增生李斯特菌(Listeria monocytogenes, Lm,简称单增李斯特菌)是一种普遍存在的革兰阳性食源性病原体,可引起人类和一些动物的李斯特菌病。侵袭性李斯特菌病通常很严重,临床上表现为自然流产、败血症和脑膜脑炎,也可表现为发热性胃肠炎综合症。成孔蛋白单增李斯特菌溶血素O(Listeriolysin O,LLO,由hly基因编码)是一种重要的毒力因子,属于胆固醇依赖性细胞溶解素(cholesterol-dependent cytolysins,CDC)毒素,其通过膜穿孔机制介导Lm从吞噬体逃逸并引起李斯特菌病。最近的研究表明LLO除了主要的膜穿孔作用,还存在其他功能,在Lm感染过程中扮演了重要的角色。从LLO的功能和作用机制等方面综述了近些年对该毒素的研究进展,以便更好地理解单增李斯特菌的感染机制,为防治李斯特病的相关研究提供参考。     

李斯特菌侵染宿主细胞过程中磷脂酶D活性变化的初步研究

磷脂酶D(phospholipase,PLD)在感染和炎症反应中发挥重要作用,然而其在单核增生李斯特菌(简称李斯特菌)侵染非洲绿猴肾细胞(Vero)中是否被激活尚未见报道。对李斯特菌刺激下的Vero细胞内PLD的活性变化进行了初步研究。以李斯特菌、佛波醇PMA分别刺激正常细胞及高效表达PLD2-K758R功能缺陷蛋白腺病毒预感染的Vero细胞,研究Vero细胞内PLD活性变化。结果发现,与对照组相比(不给予刺激),在李斯特菌和佛波醇PMA刺激正常Vero细胞过程中,胞内PLD活性增强非常显著。mPLD2-K758R蛋白的过度表达对Vero细胞的PLD基础活性无影响,但对李斯特菌和PMA诱导的PLD激活有明显抑制作用。这初步表明,在李斯特菌诱导的Vero细胞对其吞噬过程中的确伴有PLD的激活,并且可能主要是PLD2亚型被激活,但此吞噬过程中PLD的激活机制及激活后PLD的具体功能尚有待进一步研究。     

γ干扰素抗衣原体感染作用的研究进展

衣原体为专性胞内寄生菌,具有广泛致病谱,是重要的致病菌。γ干扰素在抗衣原体感染中起重要作用,其介导的抗衣原体感染效应机制包括耗竭色氨酸、诱导铁缺失途径以及激活一氧化氮合酶等;但衣原体也有其自身特有的避免γ干扰素干扰的免疫逃避机制。本文综述γ干扰素抗衣原体感染作用机制的研究现状。     

DegU调控单核细胞增生李斯特菌感染宿主细胞及适应高温的机制研究

【目的】本研究旨在探究孤儿调节因子DegU在介导单核细胞增生李斯特菌(Listeria monocytogenes)宿主感染和高温环境适应性方面的调控机制。【方法】本研究以单增李斯特菌参考菌株EGD-e、degU基因缺失菌株ΔdegU和回补菌株CΔdegU为研究材料，通过细胞模型、实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应和凝胶阻滞试验等方法探究DegU对单增李斯特菌感染宿主细胞和适应高温的调控机制。【结果】研究结果表明：缺失degU后，单增李斯特菌在Caco-2上的黏附和侵袭能力显著降低，在RAW264.7中的增殖能力显著降低，在L929中的空斑形成能力也显著降低；进一步通过实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应检测degU基因缺失后引起的单增李斯特菌毒力因子转录水平变化，发现多个重要毒力因子转录水平均显著下调；该试验结果还发现与毒力相关的热应激基因clpE(受CtsR抑制的ATP依赖蛋白水解酶编码基因)转录水平显著升高，而在43℃高温条件下，clpE转录水平显著降低；进一步通过凝胶阻滞试验结果表明DegU能够与clpE的启动子直接结合。【结论】综上所述，degU基因缺失能够降低单增李斯特菌在宿主感染过程中的细...     

单核细胞增多性李斯特菌谷胱甘肽还原酶GR的生物学特性

【目的】本文旨在构建单核细胞增多性李斯特菌谷胱甘肽还原酶(glutathione reductase,GR)基因lmo1433(gr)缺失株,并研究GR在细菌生长和运动过程中发挥的作用及与谷氧还蛋白(glutaredoxin,Grx)系统间的调控关系,探究GR参与细菌抗氧化应激和致病力的生物学功能,为阐明氧化还原蛋白介导细菌环境适应和宿主内感染的机制奠定分子基础。【方法】利用细菌遗传操作系统构建获得gr缺失株及回补株后,通过分子生物学和感染生物学手段,比较野生株和突变株的运动性、生长能力、抗氧化应激、细胞黏附、侵袭和增殖能力;利用整合型质粒构建带GR启动子的荧光报告系统,并结合荧光定量分析GR受Grx调控的情况。【结果】缺失gr后李斯特菌在体外培养基中的生长能力未受明显影响,但在半固体培养基中的运动能力却显著增强;缺失gr后细菌在铜离子、镉离子以及肼中抗氧化应激能力增强,在H_2O_2中无差异;缺失gr后细胞黏附、侵袭和增殖能力均显著增强;荧光报告系统定量分析发现grx缺失后gr的启动子活性显著增强,表明Grx参与对GR的转录负调控。【结论】本研究首次证实了单增李斯特菌谷胱甘肽还原酶GR能调控细菌的运动能力,并且缺失GR增强了李斯特菌的抗氧化应激和感染宿主能力;首次证实了GR的自身转录受Grx负调控,但具体分子机制有待于深入探究。本研究有助于深入理解单增李斯特菌氧化还原蛋白的调控关系以及通过参与诸多生物学过程介导细菌体外环境适应及宿主内感染的分子机制,为防控胞内菌感染提供了新策略。     

单增李斯特菌LPXTG蛋白Lmo0880在感染致病中的作用

【目的】通过构建单核细胞增生李斯特菌(单增李斯特菌) LPXTG蛋白Lmo0880的基因缺失菌株和回补菌株,探究Lmo0880在细菌生长、细胞感染和宿主感染等方面发挥的作用。【方法】利用同源重组原理构建lmo0880的基因缺失株及回补株,比较野生株、缺失株和回补株在生长能力、细胞黏附与侵袭和胞内增殖能力等方面的差异,从而鉴定Lmo0880在单增李斯特菌感染宿主中的作用。【结果】缺失lmo0880基因后,单增李斯特菌在生长能力上无明显变化;对细胞的黏附能力无显著差异,但对细胞侵袭能力、胞内增殖能力、小鼠致病力和小鼠组织定殖能力显著降低。【结论】本研究阐明了单增李斯特菌LPXTG蛋白Lmo0880在细胞侵袭、胞内增殖和组织定殖等方面发挥的重要作用。     

猪流行性腹泻病毒与宿主抗病毒天然免疫抑制

猪流行性腹泻病毒(porcine epidemic diarrhea virus,PEDV)能引起猪腹泻等肠道疾病,属于α属冠状病毒,它的爆发给很多国家养猪业造成了严重的经济损失。2010年以来,PEDV感染在中国出现大规模爆发,一种突变型PEDV也于2013年在美国出现并迅速传播。 RNA病毒能够通过Toll样受体通路3（TLR3）和RIG-I样受体通路（RLR）诱导I型干扰素的产生。但以往的研究表明,PEDV感染能抑制I型干扰素的合成。近年来有关PEDV调节宿主天然免疫应答的研究取得了很大进展。PEDV主要通过编码作为干扰素拮抗剂的病毒蛋白以及隐藏病毒自身病原相关分子模式（PAMP）等两种方式逃逸宿主天然免疫应答。目前已报道,PEDV非结构蛋白1可通过降解CBP阻碍干扰素调节因子3(IRF-3)组装成增强子复合体;木瓜蛋白酶样蛋白酶可通过其去泛素化酶活性阻断天然免疫信号通路传递;3C样蛋白酶可通过剪切NEMO发挥干扰素拮抗剂活性;核衣壳蛋白通过结合TBK1抑制I型干扰素产生。PEDV也可通过合成加帽酶隐藏其病原相关分子dsRNA来避免激活天然免疫通路。PEDV抗病毒天然免疫机制阐明为研究PEDV感染免疫和致病机制提供了重要的理论依据,为研发抗PEDV新型疫苗和药物提供了基础。     

一株抑制单增李斯特菌感染的S.epidermidis G26菌株的分离筛选

本研究从BALB/c小鼠粪便中分离筛选得到一株具有抑制单增李斯特菌(Listeria monocytogenes,Lm)感染的G26菌株。通过16S rDNA鉴定分离株G26为表皮葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus epidermidis G26)。体外试验证明G26能够显著抑制Lm生长;动物实验表明,分离株G26能够降低单增李斯特菌感染小鼠的死亡率,减少单增李斯特菌在小鼠肠道内的含量和粪便检出量。结果表明,分离株G26可以作为一种具有治疗单增李斯特菌感染作用的潜在的益生菌。     

STING-Dependent Type I IFN Production Inhibits Cell-Mediated Immunity to Listeria monocytogenes

Infection with Listeria monocytogenes strains that enter the host cell cytosol leads to a robust cytotoxic T cell response resulting in long-lived cell-mediated immunity (CMI). Upon entry into the cytosol, L. monocytogenes secretes cyclic diadenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) which activates the innate immune sensor STING leading to the expression of IFN-β and co-regulated genes. In this study, we examined the role of STING in the development of protective CMI to L. monocytogenes. Mice deficient for STING or its downstream effector IRF3 restricted a secondary lethal challenge with L. monocytogenes and exhibited enhanced immunity that was MyD88-independent. Conversely, enhancing STING activation during immunization by co-administration of c-di-AMP or by infection with a L. monocytogenes mutant that secretes elevated levels of c-di-AMP resulted in decreased protective immunity that was largely dependent on the type I interferon receptor. These data suggest that L. monocytogenes activation of STING downregulates CMI by induction of type I interferon.     

Erratum to: Florez-McClure ML,Hohsfield LA,Fonte G,Bealor MT,Link CD. Decreased insulin-receptor signaling promotes the autophagic degradation of β-amyloid peptide in C. elegans. Autophagy 2007; 3:569-80

Autophagy is a cell-autonomous mechanism of innate immunity that protects the cytosol against bacterial infection. Invasive bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes, have thus evolved strategies to counteract a process that limits their intracellular growth. ActA is a surface protein produced by L. monocytogenes to polymerize actin and mediate intra- and intercellular movements, which plays a critical role in autophagy escape. We have recently investigated the role of another L. monocytogenes surface protein, the internalin InlK, in the infection process. We showed that in the cytosol of infected cells, InlK interacts with the Major Vault Protein (MVP), the main component of cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein particles named vaults. Although MVP has been implicated in a variety of key cellular process, its role remains elusive. We demonstrated that L. monocytogenes is able, via InlK, to decorate its surface with MVP in order to escape autophagic recognition. Strikingly, this new strategy used by L. monocytogenes to avoid autophagy is independent of ActA, suggesting that InlK-MVP interactions and actin polymerization are two processes that favor in the same manner the infection process. Understanding the role of MVP may provide new insights into bacterial infection and autophagy.     

Fibronectin‐binding protein,FbpA, is the adhesin responsible for pathogenesis of Listeria monocytogenes infection

The role of fibronectin binding protein A (FbpA) in Listeria monocytogenes infection and its pathogenesis were studied in vivo and in vitro by constructing a fbpA‐deficient mutant of L. monocytogenes (ΔfbpA). In vivo, ΔfbpA was less pathogenic in mutant mice than was wild‐type L. monocytogenes. FbpA did not affect the amounts of various virulence‐determining factors, including internalin B and listeriolysin O. However, adherence to, and invasion of, mouse hepatocytes by the ΔfbpA mutant were reduced. In contrast, adherence to, but not invasion of, the ΔfbpA mutant to macrophages was attenuated. Fibronectin contributed to the efficient adherence and invasion of wild‐type L. monocytogenes, but not to those of the ΔfbpA mutant. Attenuation of adhesion and uptake of the ΔfbpA mutant were reversed by overexpression of FbpA in it. FbpA was not involved in intracellular growth, autophagy induction or actin tail formation. Thus, the present findings clearly show that FbpA acts as an important adhesion molecule of L. monocytogenes, especially regarding hepatocytes, without modulating the expression of other virulence factors that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes infection.     

A study on the effects of some laboratory-derived genetic mutations on biofilm formation by Listeria monocytogenes

Biofilms formed by the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in food-processing environments can be a potential source of contamination. In this study, we investigated the ability of L. monocytogenes wild type and its laboratory-derived isogenic mutants in cwhA, prfA, agrA, flaA, degU, ami and sigB to adhere to and form biofilms on abiotic surfaces. The results suggest that inactivation of the two component regulatory system degU completely abolished biofilm formation, while inactivation of the flagellar gene flaA, two component response regulator agrA and the autolysin-adhesin gene ami lead to severe impairment of initial attachment and the subsequent development of a mature biofilm by L. monocytogenes. Mutants in the global regulator of virulence prfA and the alternative sigma factor sigB were unaffected and formed biofilms similar to wild type L. monocytogenes.     

Biotechnological applications of Listeria's sophisticated infection strategies

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram‐positive bacterium that is able to survive both in the environment and to invade and multiply within eukaryotic cells. Currently L. monocytogenes represents one of the most well‐studied and characterized microorganisms in bacterial pathogenesis. A hallmark of L. monocytogenes virulence is its ability to breach bodily barriers such as the intestinal epithelium, the blood–brain barrier as well as the placental barrier to cause severe systemic disease. Curiously, this theme is repeated at the level of the interaction between the individual cell and the bacterium where its virulence factors contribute to the ability of the bacteria to breach cellular barriers. L. monocytogenes is a model to study metabolic requirements of bacteria growing in an intracellular environment, modulation of signalling pathways in the infected cell and interactions with cellular defences involving innate and adaptive immunity. Technical advances such as the creation of LISTERIA‐susceptible mouse strains, had added interest in the study of the natural pathogenesis of the disease via oral infection. The use of attenuated strains of L. monocytogenes as vaccines has gained considerable interest because they can be used to express heterologous antigens as well as to somatically deliver recombinant DNA to eukaryotic cells. A novel vaccine concept, the use of non‐viable but metabolically active bacteria to induced immunoprotective responses, has been developed with L. monocytogenes. In this mini‐review, we review the strategies used by L. monocytogenes to subvert the cellular functions at different stages of the infection cycle in the host and examine how these properties are being exploited in biotechnological and clinical applications.     

A Fluorescence Reporter Model Defines “Tip-DCs” as the Cellular Source of Interferon β in Murine Listeriosis

Production of type I interferons, consisting mainly of multiple IFNα subtypes and IFNβ, represents an essential part of the innate immune defense against invading pathogens. While in most situations, namely viral infections, this class of cytokines is indispensable for host survival they mediate a detrimental effect during infection with L. monocytogenes by rendering macrophages insensitive towards IFNγ signalling which leads to a lethal bacterial pathology in mice. Due to a lack of suitable analytic tools the precise identity of the cell population responsible for type I IFN production remains ill-defined and so far these cells have been described to be macrophages. As in general IFNβ is the first type I interferon to be produced, we took advantage of an IFNβ fluorescence reporter-knockin mouse model in which YFP is expressed from a bicistronic mRNA linked by an IRES to the endogenous ifnb mRNA to assess the IFNβ production on a single cell level in situ. Our results showed highest frequencies and absolute numbers of IFNβ⁺ cells in the spleen 24 h after infection with L. monocytogenes where they were located predominately in the white pulp within the foci of infection. Detailed FACS surface marker analyses, intracellular cytokine stainings and T cell proliferation assays revealed that the IFNβ⁺ cells were a phenotypically and functionally further specialized subpopulation of TNF and iNOS producing DCs (Tip-DCs) which are known to be essential for the early containment of L. monocytogenes infection. We proved that the IFNβ⁺ cells exhibited the hallmark characteristics of Tip-DCs as they produced iNOS and TNF and possessed T cell priming abilities. These results point to a yet unappreciated ambiguous role for a multi-effector, IFNβ producing subpopulation of Tip-DCs in controlling the balance between containment of L. monocytogenes infection and effects detrimental to the host driven by IFNβ.     

Why is Listeria monocytogenes such a potent inducer of CD8+ T‐cells?

Listeria monocytogenes is a rapidly growing, Gram‐positive, facultative intracellular pathogen that has been used for over 5 decades as a model to study basic aspects of infection and immunity. In a murine intravenous infection model, immunisation with a sublethal infection of L. monocytogenes initially leads to rapid intracellular multiplication followed by clearance of the bacteria and ultimately culminates in the development of long‐lived cell‐mediated immunity (CMI) mediated by antigen‐specific CD8+ cytotoxic T‐cells. Importantly, effective immunisation requires live, replicating bacteria. In this review, we summarise the cell and immunobiology of L. monocytogenes infection and discuss aspects of its pathogenesis that we suspect lead to robust CMI. We suggest five specific features of L. monocytogenes infection that positively impact the development of CMI: (a) the bacteria have a predilection for professional antigen‐presenting cells; (b) the bacteria escape from phagosomes, grow, and secrete antigens into the host cell cytosol; (c) bacterial‐secreted proteins enter the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I pathway of antigen processing and presentation; (d) the bacteria do not induce rapid host cell death; and (e) cytosolic bacteria induce a cytokine response that favours CMI. Collectively, these features make L. monocytogenes an attractive vaccine vector for both infectious disease applications and cancer immunotherapy.     

Macrophages mediate flagellin induced inflammasome activation and host defense in zebrafish

The inflammasome is an innate immune complex whose rapid inflammatory outputs play a critical role in controlling infection; however, the host cells that mediate inflammasome responses in vivo are not well defined. Using zebrafish larvae, we examined the cellular immune responses to inflammasome activation during infection. We compared the host responses with two Listeria monocytogenes strains: wild type and Lm‐pyro, a strain engineered to activate the inflammasome via ectopic expression of flagellin. Infection with Lm‐pyro led to activation of the inflammasome, macrophage pyroptosis and ultimately attenuation of virulence. Depletion of caspase A, the zebrafish caspase‐1 homolog, restored Lm‐pyro virulence. Inflammasome activation specifically recruited macrophages to infection sites, whereas neutrophils were equally recruited to wild type and Lm‐pyro infections. Similar to caspase A depletion, macrophage deficiency rescued Lm‐pyro virulence to wild‐type levels, while defective neutrophils had no specific effect. Neutrophils were, however, important for general clearance of L. monocytogenes, as both wild type and Lm‐pyro were more virulent in larvae with defective neutrophils. This study characterizes a novel model for inflammasome studies in an intact host, establishes the importance of macrophages during inflammasome responses and adds importance to the role of neutrophils in controlling L. monocytogenes infections.