Tuberculous granuloma formation is enhanced by a mycobacterium virulence determinant

Granulomas are organized host immune structures composed of tightly interposed macrophages and other cells that form in response to a variety of persistent stimuli, both infectious and noninfectious. The tuberculous granuloma is essential for host containment of mycobacterial infection, although it does not always eradicate it. Therefore, it is considered a host-beneficial, if incompletely efficacious, immune response. The Mycobacterium RD1 locus encodes a specialized secretion system that promotes mycobacterial virulence by an unknown mechanism. Using transparent zebrafish embryos to monitor the infection process in real time, we found that RD1-deficient bacteria fail to elicit efficient granuloma formation despite their ability to grow inside of infected macrophages. We showed that macrophages infected with virulent mycobacteria produce an RD1-dependent signal that directs macrophages to aggregate into granulomas. This Mycobacterium-induced macrophage aggregation in turn is tightly linked to intercellular bacterial dissemination and increased bacterial numbers. Thus, mycobacteria co-opt host granulomas for their virulence.     

Role of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) protein InvB in type III secretion of SopE and SopE2, two Salmonella effector proteins encoded outside of SPI-1

Salmonella enterica subspecies 1 serovar Typhimurium encodes a type III secretion system (TTSS) within Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1). This TTSS injects effector proteins into host cells to trigger invasion and inflammatory responses. Effector proteins are recognized by the TTSS via signals encoded in their N termini. Specific chaperones can be involved in this process. The chaperones InvB, SicA, and SicP are encoded in SPI-1 and are required for transport of SPI-1-encoded effectors. Several key effector proteins, like SopE and SopE2, are located outside of SPI-1 but are secreted in an SPI-1-dependent manner. It has not been clear how these effector proteins are recognized by the SPI-1 TTSS. Using pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation assays, we found that SopE is copurified with InvB, the known chaperone for the SPI-1-encoded effector protein Sip/SspA. We also found that InvB is required for secretion and translocation of SopE and SopE2 and for stabilization of SopE2 in the bacterial cytosol. Our data demonstrate that effector proteins encoded within and outside of SPI-1 use the same chaperone for secretion via the SPI-1 TTSS.     

XBP-1转录激活系统的构建

人X盒结合蛋白1(XBP-1)是CREB／ATF(cAMP应答元件结合蛋白／激活转录因子)转录因子家族中的一员,在很多癌细胞中高水平表达。将XBP-1两种剪切形式的编码序列分别克隆在pRC-lac真核载体上,构建成pRC-lac-XBP-1S和pRC-lac-XBP-1U重组质粒。Westem印迹分析表明,这两种XBP-1形式在哺乳动物细胞中都得到了表达。瞬时转染人胚胎肾细胞293T,用荧光素酶报告基因检测这两种剪切形式的转录活性。结果显示,pRC-lac-XBP-1S和pRC-lac-XBP-1U在293T细胞中均有活性,pRC-lac-XBP-1U的活性约是空载体的65倍,pRC-lac-XBP-IS的活性约是空载体的3倍。成功构建了xBP-1的转录激活系统,为进一步了解XBp-1在各种疾病中的作用奠定了基础。