c-fos and tumor necrosis factor gene expression in Leishmania donovani-infected macrophages.

Leishmania donovani is an obligate intracellular protozoan which resides in macrophages and impairs a number of macrophage functions. We have undertaken to study this host cell-parasite interaction by examining the ability of L. donovani to impair the transmission of information from the cell surface to the nucleus and thus influence normal gene expression. We demonstrate that, in response to lipopolysaccharide, expression of both the c-fos and tumor necrosis factor genes was impaired in L. donovani-infected macrophages. Indomethacin reversed the parasite-mediated downregulation of the tumor necrosis factor gene but not the c-fos gene, suggesting that the impaired expression of these two genes occurred through different mechanisms. Direct stimulation of protein kinase C with oleoyl-2-acetoyl-3-glycerol did not abrogate inhibition of c-fos gene expression by L. donovani; however, L929 cell-conditioned medium induced a similar level of c-fos gene expression in both infected and noninfected macrophages. Impairment of c-fos gene expression by L. donovani thus appeared to be selective, depending on the external stimuli used to induce its expression. These data argue that L. donovani was capable of impairing macrophage gene expression in a selective rather than a general manner.     

Leishmania donovani exploits host deubiquitinating enzyme A20, a negative regulator of TLR signaling, to subvert host immune response

TLRs, which form an interface between mammalian host and microbe, play a key role in pathogen recognition and initiation of proinflammatory response thus stimulating antimicrobial activity and host survival. However, certain intracellular pathogens such as Leishmania can successfully manipulate the TLR signaling, thus hijacking the defensive strategies of the host. Despite the presence of lipophosphoglycan, a TLR2 ligand capable of eliciting host-defensive cytokine response, on the surface of Leishmania, the strategies adopted by the parasite to silence the TLR2-mediated proinflammatory response is not understood. In this study, we showed that Leishmania donovani modulates the TLR2-mediated pathway in macrophages through inhibition of the IKK-NF-κB cascade and suppression of IL-12 and TNF-α production. This may be due to impairment of the association of TRAF6 with the TAK-TAB complex, thus inhibiting the recruitment of TRAF6 in TLR2 signaling. L. donovani infection drastically reduced Lys 63-linked ubiquitination of TRAF6, and the deubiquitinating enzyme A20 was found to be significantly upregulated in infected macrophages. Small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of A20 restored the Lys 63-linked ubiquitination of TRAF6 as well as IL-12 and TNF-α levels with a concomitant decrease in IL-10 and TGF-β synthesis in infected macrophages. Knockdown of A20 led to lower parasite survival within macrophages. Moreover, in vivo silencing of A20 by short hairpin RNA in BALB/c mice led to increased NF-κB DNA binding and host-protective proinflammatory cytokine response resulting in effective parasite clearance. These results suggest that L. donovani might exploit host A20 to inhibit the TLR2-mediated proinflammatory gene expression, thus escaping the immune responses of the host.     

Role of protein kinase C-alpha in the control of infection by intracellular pathogens in macrophages.

The protein kinase C (PKC) family regulates macrophage function involved in host defense against infection. In this study, we investigated the role of macrophage PKC-alpha in the uptake and subsequent fate of Leishmania donovani promastigotes and Legionella pneumophila infections. To this end, we used clones of the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 overexpressing a dominant-negative (DN) mutant of PKC-alpha. While phagocytosis of L. donovani promastigotes was not affected by DN PKC-alpha overexpression, their intracellular survival was enhanced by 10- to 20-fold at 48 h postinfection. Intracellular survival of a L. donovani mutant defective in lipophosphoglycan repeating units synthesis, which normally is rapidly degraded in phagolysosomes, was enhanced by 100-fold at 48 h postinfection. However, IFN-gamma-induced leishmanicidal activity was not affected by DN PKC-alpha overexpression. Similar to macrophages from genetically resistant C57BL/6 mice, control RAW 264.7 cells were not permissive for the intracellular replication of Legionella pneumophila. In contrast, DN PKC-alpha-overexpressing RAW 264.7 clones were phenotypically similar to macrophages from genetically susceptible A/J mice, as they allowed intracellular replication of L. pneumophila. Permissiveness to L. pneumophila was not the consequence of a general defect in the microbicidal capacities because killing of a temperature-sensitive mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was normal in DN PKC-alpha-overexpressing RAW 264.7 clones. Collectively, these results support a role for PKC-alpha in the regulation of innate macrophage functions involved in the control of infection by intracellular parasites.     

Mouse chromosome 1 Ity locus regulates microbicidal activity of isolated peritoneal macrophages against a diverse group of intracellular and extracellular bacteria

The genotype of a mouse influences whether or not it will survive infection with the agent of murine typhoid, Salmonella typhimurium. The best-characterized murine salmonella response gene is a Chromosome 1 locus designated Ity. Inbred strains of mice that express the Itys allele are unable to contain the net growth of Salmonella typhimurium within their spleens and livers, and usually die early in the infection. By contrast, mice homozygous or heterozygous for the Ityr allele are able to control the net multiplication of Salmonella typhimurium within these organs. The Ity gene also appears to regulate the extent of replication within murine reticuloendothelial cell tissues of the obligate intracellular parasite Leishmania donovani, as well as the facultative intracellular bacteria Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium lepraemurium. Previous studies from our laboratory strongly suggested that Ityr mice are more resistant to S. typhimurium infection than are Itys mice, because resident Ityr macrophages kill salmonellae more efficiently than do Itys macrophages. In this study, we used an in vitro macrophage assay to assess the specificity of the enhanced killing capacity of Ityr macrophages. We found that Ityr macrophages were better able than Itys macrophages to kill both intracellular bacteria (Salmonella typhi) and extracellular bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium diphtheriae). Thus, the diversity of organisms affected by Ity expression suggests that the product of this gene may play a key regulatory role in the initial interaction of mice with a variety of microbial agents.     

Decrease of acid phosphatase activity in murine peritoneal macrophages infected with Leishmania donovani

The effect of infection with Leishmania donovani on the activity and isoenzyme composition of acid phosphatase within individual murine peritoneal macrophages maintained in vitro was studied. Concentrations of acid phosphatase activity and number of intracellular parasites were quantitated using a computer-assisted cytospectrophotometry system. Changes in the isoenzyme composition of macrophages during infection with L. donovani were detected by comparing the patterns of acid phosphatase levels between macrophages treated in the absence and presence of an enzyme inhibitor. It was observed that the concentration levels of acid phosphatase activity in macrophages were decreased significantly by infection with L. donovani. An inverse relation existed between concentration of acid phosphatase activity and the number of intracellular L. donovani. Reduced concentrations of acid phosphatase activity were also observed in macrophages uninfected but exposed to L. donovani. The isoenzyme composition in macrophages did not change during the course of infection with L. donovani. These results demonstrate that L. donovani reduces the acid phosphatase activity of macrophages.     

Imaging host cell-Leishmania interaction dynamics implicates parasite motility, lysosome recruitment, and host cell wounding in the infection process

Leishmania donovani causes human visceral leishmaniasis. The parasite infectious cycle comprises extracellular flagellated promastigotes that proliferate inside the insect vector, and intracellular nonmotile amastigotes that multiply within infected host cells. Using primary macrophages infected with virulent metacyclic promastigotes and high spatiotemporal resolution microscopy, we dissect the dynamics of the early infection process. We find that motile promastigotes enter macrophages in a polarized manner through their flagellar tip and are engulfed into host lysosomal compartments. Persistent intracellular flagellar activity leads to reorientation of the parasite flagellum toward the host cell periphery and results in oscillatory parasite movement. The latter is associated with local lysosomal exocytosis and host cell plasma membrane wounding. These findings implicate lysosome recruitment followed by lysosome exocytosis, consistent with parasite-driven host cell injury, as key cellular events in Leishmania host cell infection. This work highlights the role of promastigote polarity and motility during parasite entry.     

Suppression of macrophage lysosomal enzymes after Leishmania donovani infection

In order to have an insight into the role of host lysosomal enzymes in the intracellular survival of Leishmania parasites, the activities of beta-galactosidase, alpha-mannosidase, and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase were studied in peritoneal macrophages of hamsters infected with L. donovani. There was a significant decrease of all three lysosomal enzymes after infection. Heat-killed or formalin-treated parasites failed to inhibit the enzymes, instead a slight stimulation was observed. Purified excreted factor from promastigotes had no effect on the enzymes except beta-galactosidase which was inhibited up to 20%. Inhibition of enzymes was not due to increased secretion after infection. The absence of induction of any endogenous macrophage inhibitor was confirmed by mixed experiments. The levels of 5'-nucleotidase and lactate dehydrogenase remained unchanged after infection. Thus, the inhibition of lysosomal enzymes appears to be the effect of infection process and reflects to actua decrease rather than increased secretion or the action of any inhibitors present in Leishmania promastigotes.     

Parasite accessory cell interactions in murine leishmaniasis. I. Evasion and stimulus-dependent suppression of the macrophage interleukin 1 response by Leishmania donovani

Interleukin 1 (IL 1) is a principal mediator of the host immune response to microbial challenge. Accessory cells of the monocyte-macrophage series are a major source of this cytokine and are also chronically parasitized by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. This suggests that characterization of the macrophage IL 1 response to Leishmania would increase our understanding of the regulation of host immunity to these organisms. In the present study, the macrophage IL 1 response to Leishmania donovani was examined because infections with this organism have findings consistent with parasite-specific T cell unresponsiveness. Cytokine activity was measured either by direct stimulation or by co-stimulation of thymocytes. Conditioned media from BALB/c resident peritoneal macrophages infected with amastigotes of L. donovani contained no more IL 1 than did supernatant fluids of control cells. In contrast, supernatants from cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes had significantly increased cytokine content. Resident cells infected with L. donovani for 4 hr before being stimulated with Listeria demonstrated a suppressed IL 1 response (approximately 40% of Listeria alone) to this secondary particulate stimulus. In contrast, the secondary response of leishmania-preinfected cells to lipopolysaccharide was not affected. To examine whether accessory cell nonresponsiveness to L. donovani (with respect to IL 1) was related to the state of macrophage activation, elicited peritoneal macrophages obtained by injection of proteose peptone were also studied. These cells responded to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and fixed Staphylococcus aureus with increases in intracellular, membrane, and secreted cytokine activities. In contrast, L. donovani failed to induce any of these activities. This was found to be the case irrespective of whether amastigotes were alive or killed or opsonized with specific antibodies. Elicited cells preinfected with Leishmania responded normally to secondary stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, but not S. aureus (64% of Staphylococcus alone). In addition, attachment and penetration of L. donovani promastigotes and their subsequent conversion to amastigotes within macrophages failed to induce IL 1 synthesis. The findings of this study indicate that L. donovani has the ability to both evade and suppress the macrophage IL 1 response. Because this monokine provides an obligatory signal during macrophage-dependent T cell activation, evasion of signal transduction for IL 1 synthesis may be related to defects in cell-mediated immunity which occur during infections with this organism.     

Importance of lymphokines in the control of multiplication and dispersion of Leishmania donovani within liver macrophages of resistant and susceptible mice

Leishmania donovani is an obligate intracellular parasite of mammalian macrophages. The immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA), which inhibits the production of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, and interferon-gamma, increased infections 3-fold without affecting expression of the Lsh gene. The objective of this study was to determine how activation of macrophages by lymphokines affects the multiplication and propagation of the parasite within liver macrophages. Susceptible C57BL/6J and resistant C57L/J mice were treated with 200 mg/kg CsA and then infected intravenously with 10(7) amastigotes. Two weeks later macrophages were collected from the liver by perfusion, plated on coverslips, and incubated for 4, 24, and 48 hr. The percentage of infected macrophages and the number of amastigotes/100 cells were determined after staining the cells with Giemsa's stain. The number of infected macrophages and amastigotes per macrophage was significantly greater in animals of both strains that had been treated with CsA. This study demonstrated clearly that lymphokines or other soluble mediators produced by T cells act, in part, to control infection by L. donovani by minimizing both multiplication within macrophages and their dispersion.     

Functional analysis of cathepsin B-like cysteine proteases from Leishmania donovani complex. Evidence for the activation of latent transforming growth factor beta

Cathepsin B-like genes from Leishmania donovani and Leishmania chagasi have been isolated and characterized. It is a single gene, which is constitutively expressed in all the life cycle stages of the parasite. Studies using cathepsin B-specific inhibitor treatment suggested that cathepsin B does not seem to play a role in the promastigote stages of the parasite, however it aids in the parasite survival within the host macrophages. Antisense mRNA inhibition of cathepsin B gene also revealed that it plays an important role in the parasite survival within the host macrophages. Furthermore, for the first time, we have shown that Leishmania whole cell lysates as well as the recombinant cathepsin B protein cleaved human recombinant latent transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 into a mature peptide releasing the latency associated protein, in a cell-free incubation system. Mink lung epithelial cell growth inhibition assay revealed that the cleaved TGF-beta1 was biologically active, suggesting that Leishmania cathepsin B can cleave latent TGF-beta1 into mature and active form. These results suggest that cathepsin B plays an important role in Leishmania survival within the host macrophages by activating latent TGF-beta1.     

Killing of Leishmania donovani by activated liver macrophages from resistant and susceptible strains of mice

Leishmania donovani is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite of macrophages; liver macrophages are, however, the only population of cells which express the resistant Lsh gene phenotype when these cells are infected in vitro. It was of interest to study in vitro the action of Con A-stimulated spleen cell lymphokines (LK) to protect or to cure liver macrophages from infection by L. donovani. Liver and peritoneal macrophages (PEC) from resistant (C57L/J) and susceptible (C57BL/6J) mice were infected in vitro with promastigotes before or after LK treatment; the percentage of infected macrophages was determined 4, 24, 48 and 72 h post-infection. Both macrophage populations were protected or cured by treatment with lymphokines; the cells of the resistant strain were protected or cured more effectively than those of the susceptible strain. The capacity for cure or for protection following LK treatment of liver and PEC macrophages was similar within each strain. Supernatants from the IL-2-produced MLA-144 cell line had no effect to protect or cure macrophages. This study indicates that the response of macrophages to the action of LK is also important in determining the susceptibility of mice to L. donovani; this model in vitro provides a good approximation of the response of macrophages to therapy.     

Leishmania donovani: role of microviscosity of macrophage membrane in the process of parasite attachment and internalization

Host macrophage infection by the parasite Leishmania donovani is heterogeneous, but it is not clear which factors are responsible for parasite recognition within the macrophages. One possible factor may be the alteration of the microviscosity of the macrophage membrane. This in turn may affect receptor expression and hence parasite infection. In this paper we describe alteration of the lipid composition and hence the microviscosity of the macrophage membrane in a controlled manner using liposome fusion technique. At a higher macrophage membrane microviscosity a larger number of parasites have been found to adhere to the macrophage surface. However, the proportion of parasites finally internalized when compared to parasites adhering to macrophages is inversely correlated with the artificially altered macrophage membrane microviscosity. The process of endocytosis has been examined in both native and lipid modified macrophages in the presence of several sugar antagonists. The results indicate (i) glucose and mannose are specifically involved in the binding process, and (ii) the microviscosity has a key role in controlling the macrophage parasite interaction. The results obtained so far support a model of endocytosis where expression of the receptor is a critical initial process dependent on the microviscosity of the membrane.     

The sterol-binding antibiotic nystatin inhibits entry of non-opsonized Leishmania donovani into macrophages

Leishmania donovani is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects macrophages of the vertebrate host resulting in visceral leishmaniasis in humans, a major public health problem worldwide. The molecular mechanisms involved in internalization of Leishmania are still poorly characterized. We report here that cholesterol sequestration by the sterol-binding antifungal polyene antibiotic nystatin markedly inhibits binding and entry of non-opsonized L. donovani promastigotes into macrophages. Interestingly, these effects are not observed when serum-opsonized L. donovani are used for infectivity studies thus pointing the essential role of cholesterol in mediating entry of the parasite via the non-opsonic pathway. Based on our earlier results where leishmanial infectivity was shown to be sensitive to physical depletion of cholesterol from macrophages, these results indicate that the mere sequestration of cholesterol in the host plasma membrane is sufficient to inhibit the binding and entry of non-opsonized L. donovani. These results represent the first report on the effect of a cholesterol-sequestering agent on the entry of Leishmania parasites to host macrophages. More importantly, these findings offer the possibility of reevaluating the mechanism behind the effectiveness of current therapeutic strategies to treat leishmaniasis.     

Possible role of the 34-kilodalton hyaluronic acid-binding protein in visceral Leishmaniasis.

Leishmania donovani, the causative organism of human visceral leishmaniasis, invades host macrophages through its interaction with the cell surface molecules of target cells. The presence of a cell surface protein (Mr 34 kDa) having specific affinity toward hyaluronan (HA), a major extracellular matrix component, has been previously reported in macrophage cell lines. In order to identify the possible role of this HA-binding protein (HABP) in leishmaniasis, initially we demonstrated its overexpression in spleen, liver, macrophages, and serum of hamsters infected with L. donovani. We further observed higher levels of HABP in the macrophage cell line J774.G8 upon infection with L. donovani. Finally, we observed a significant increase in the level of HABP in the serum of patients with kala-azar. In order to understand its functional role in leishmaniasis, we report here a significant inhibition of cellular phosphorylation of HABP in hamster macrophages infected with L. donovani. Interestingly, the 34-kDa HABP was shown to bind with 2 proteins of promastigotes as well as amastigotes of L. donovani (with molecular masses of 55 kDa and 30 kDa respectively), suggesting a possible role for HABP in adhesion during the interaction of promastigotes and macrophages.     

Leishmania inhibits STAT1-mediated IFN-gamma signaling in macrophages: increased tyrosine phosphorylation of dominant negative STAT1beta by Leishmania mexicana

Previous studies have demonstrated that Leishmania donovani attenuates STAT1-mediated signaling in macrophages; however it is not clear whether other species of Leishmania, which cause cutaneous disease, also interfere with macrophage IFN-gamma signaling. Therefore, we determined the effect of Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana infection on STAT1-mediated IFN-gamma signaling pathway in J774A.1 and RAW264.7 macrophages. We found that both L. major and L. mexicana suppressed IFNgammaRalpha (alpha subunit of interferon gamma receptor) and IFN-gammaRbeta (beta subunit of interferon gamma receptor) expression, reduced levels of total Jak1 and Jak2, and down-regulated IFN-gamma-induced Jak1, Jak2 and STAT1 activation. The effect of L. mexicana infection on Jak1, Jak2 and STAT1 activation was more profound when compared with L. major. Although tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1alpha was decreased in IFN-gamma stimulated macrophages infected with L. major or L. mexicana, those infected with L. mexicana showed a significant increase in phosphorylation of the dominant negative STAT1beta. These findings indicate that L. major and L. mexicana attenuate STAT1-mediated IFN-gamma signaling in macrophages. Furthermore, they also demonstrate that L. mexicana preferentially enhances tyrosine phosphorylation of dominant negative STAT1beta, which may be one of the several survival mechanisms used by this parasite to evade the host defense mechanisms.