Isolation and characterization of phenotypes of mycobacteria.

Several strains of mycobacteria grown as surface pellicle on liquid Sauton's medium under semianaerobic conditions dissociated into three phenotypes: phenotypes 1, 2, and 3. Only phenotype 1 could be obtained in a pure state. None of these phenotypes was found to be stable: they convert from one into another and all revert to the parental strain when replaced in their usual aerobic cultural conditions. Comparative studies of phenotypes 1 and 3 have shown that significant differences exist in their physiological behaviour and antigenic composition.     

Cathelicidin is involved in the intracellular killing of mycobacteria in macrophages

Macrophages have been shown to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis through the action of the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin (CAMP), whose expression was shown to be induced by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3). Here, we investigated in detail the antimycobacterial effect of murine and human cathelicidin against Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. bovis BCG infections. We have synthesized novel LL-37 peptide variants that exhibited potent in vitro bactericidal activity against M. smegmatis, M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis H37Rv, as compared with parental peptide. We show that the exogenous addition of LL-37 or endogenous overexpression of cathelicidin in macrophages significantly reduced the intracellular survival of mycobacteria relative to control cells. An upregulation of cathelicidin mRNA expression was observed that correlated with known M. smegmatis killing phases in J774 macrophages. Moreover, RNAi-based Camp knock-down macrophages and Camp(-/-) bone marrow derived mouse macrophages were significantly impaired in their ability to kill mycobacteria. M. smegmatis killing in Camp(-/-) macrophages was less extensive than in Camp(+/+) cells following activation with FSL-1, an inducer of cathelicidin expression. Finally we show that LL-37 and 1,25D3 treatment results in increase in colocalization of BCG-containing phagosomes with lysosomes. Altogether, these data demonstrate that cathelicidin plays an important role in controlling intracellular survival of mycobacteria.     

Experimental selection of long‐term intracellular mycobacteria

Some intracellular bacteria are known to cause long‐term infections that last decades without compromising the viability of the host. Although of critical importance, the adaptations that intracellular bacteria undergo during this long process of residence in a host cell environment remain obscure. Here, we report a novel experimental approach to study the adaptations of mycobacteria imposed by a long‐term intracellular lifestyle. Selected Mycobacterium bovis BCG through continuous culture in macrophages underwent an adaptation process leading to impaired phenolic glycolipids (PGL) synthesis, improved usage of glucose as a carbon source and accumulation of neutral lipids. These changes correlated with increased survival of mycobacteria in macrophages and mice during re‐infection and also with the specific expression of stress‐ and survival‐related genes. Our findings identify bacterial traits implicated in the establishment of long‐term cellular infections and represent a tool for understanding the physiological states and the environment that bacteria face living in fluctuating intracellular environments.     

Electron microscopic demonstration of close contact between intracellular mycobacteria and the phagosomal membrane

Ultrathin sections of granulomatous lung lesions of tuberculous mice were subjected to electron microscopy to observe the intraphagosomal behaviour of mycobacteria. The close contact between the external surface of the bacterial cell wall and the phagosomal membrane was a characteristic feature, This was also observed with ultrathin sections of a mycobacterial specimen harvested from the homogenate of such lungs. The significance of this event was interpreted in relation to the mechanism of mycobacterial infection.     

分枝杆菌脂聚糖的分离、纯化及其结构和功能分析

【目的】建立分离、纯化分枝杆菌脂聚糖的方法,初步比较分析不同菌株来源的脂阿拉伯甘露聚糖(Lipoarabinomannan,LAM)和脂甘露聚糖(Lipomannan,LM)的结构差异及研究脂聚糖刺激对巨噬细胞环氧合酶-2(Cyclooxygenase-2,COX-2)蛋白表达的影响。【方法】应用Triton X-114液相法提取脂聚糖,电洗脱法分离纯化,基质辅助激光解析电离串联飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS)进行分子量鉴定;基于特异性识别非还原性末端α-D-甘露糖基的刀豆球蛋白(Concanavalin A,Con A)分析新诺分枝杆菌JDM601、结核分枝杆菌H37Rv标准株和耻垢分枝杆菌mc2155脂聚糖的结构差异;进一步用Western blot检测脂聚糖刺激的RAW 264.7巨噬细胞COX-2蛋白的表达。【结果】通过电洗脱法成功纯化出3种菌株脂聚糖;MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS鉴定发现,分子量从小到大依次为新诺分枝杆菌JDM601、耻垢分枝杆菌mc2155和结核分枝杆菌H37Rv来源的脂聚糖。Western blot显示,Con A能与结核分枝杆菌H37Rv标准株来源的LAM相互作用,而不能与新诺分枝杆菌JDM601和耻垢分枝杆菌来源的LAM相互作用;并且发现Con A与新诺分枝杆菌JDM601来源的LM有很强的反应,然而与其余两种来源的LM反应很弱。3种菌株来源的脂聚糖均能刺激RAW 264.7巨噬细胞COX-2蛋白的表达。【结论】首次成功对来源于中国临床分枝杆菌分离株的脂聚糖进行了分离纯化,初步探讨了不同菌株来源分枝杆菌脂聚糖的结构差异,并表明LAM和LM均能刺激巨噬细胞诱导COX-2蛋白的表达,为进一步研究其对宿主的毒力和免疫机制奠定了基础。     

Iron uptake and intracellular metal transfer in mycobacteria mediated by xenosiderophores

Growth promotion was tested using M. smegmatis wild type strain, an exochelin-deficient mutant, and M. fortuitum employing a broad variety of xenosiderophores including hydroxamates, catecholates and a-hydroxy carboxylic acids. The experiments revealed that utilization of siderophore-bound iron is substrate specific suggesting high-affinity siderophore receptor and transport systems. Concentration-dependent uptake of a selected xenosiderophore (fericrocin) in M. smegmatis showed saturation kinetics and uptake was inhibited by respiratory poisons. In situ Mössbauer spectroscopy of ferricrocin uptake in M. smegmatis indicated rapid intracellular reductive removal of the metal excluding intracellular ferricrocin accumulation. The ultimate intracellular iron pool is represented by a compound ( = 0.43 mm s, DE = 1.03 mm s) which has also been found in many other microorganisms and does not represent a bacterioferritin, cytochrome or iron-sulfur cluster. By contrast, iron uptake via citrate - a compound exhibiting a very low complex stability constant - involves ligand exchange with mycobactin. Mycobactin has merely a transient role. The ultimate storage compound is an E.coli-type bacterioferritin, in which over 90% of cellular iron is located.     

Epitope-tagging vectors for the expression and detection of recombinant proteins in mycobacteria

New tools are required to study the growing number of uncharacterised genes derived from genome sequence projects that are specific to bacterial pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We have developed a series of vectors that permit the specific detection of recombinant proteins expressed in mycobacterial species. Gene expression in these vectors is driven by the strong hsp60 promoter of Mycobacterium bovis BCG and detection of expressed products is facilitated by C-terminal fusion of residues 409-419 of the human c-myc proto-oncogene. Using the M. tuberculosis Ag85B as a reporter of gene expression, we demonstrate that the vectors permit the specific detection of recombinant products expressed in the host species M. bovis BCG. BCG over-expressing Ag85B was a potent inducer of Ag85B-specific T cells in immunised mice, indicating that the C-terminal c-myc tag did not alter the characteristics of the recombinant protein. The versatility of the epitope-tagging vectors was demonstrated by the efficient secretion and detection of recombinant products in BCG. The vectors described in this study will facilitate the expression of foreign proteins in mycobacterial host systems.     

Isolation and study of the immunobiological properties of the recombinant proteins of measles virus

Recombinant proteins rN (nucleocapsid) and rH/Nh (hemagglutinin) of the measles virus strain NovO/96 of genotype A were obtained. The immunobiological properties of the proteins were studied in the reaction with a panel of positive and negative sera. Mice of the line Balb/C were immunized with recombinant proteins and native antigen of the measles virus strain NovO/96 in order to obtain hyperimmune serum and its analysis using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and PRN (plaque reduction neutralization). The hyperimmune serum against recombinant proteins and native antigen of the measles virus strain NovO/96 were found to be highly active in ELISA. The antibodies against the proteins rN and rH/Nh were found to be able to neutralize the virus in titer 1:13.5 and 1:22.9, respectively. The neutralization titer of the antibodies generated against native antigen of the measles virus strain NovO/96 was 1:25.7.     

Watching intracellular lipolysis in mycobacteria using time lapse fluorescence microscopy

The fact that Mycobacterium tuberculosis mobilizes lipid bodies (LB) located in the cytosol during infection process has been proposed for decades. However, the mechanisms and dynamics of mobilization of these lipid droplets within mycobacteria are still not completely characterized. Evidence in favour of this characterization was obtained here using a combined fluorescent microscopy and computational image processing approach. The decrease in lipid storage levels observed under nutrient depletion conditions was correlated with a significant increase in the size of the bacteria. LB fragmentation/condensation cycles were monitored in real time. The exact contribution of lipases in this process was confirmed using the lipase inhibitor tetrahydrolipstatin, which was found to prevent LB degradation and to limit the bacterial cell growth. The method presented here provides a powerful tool for monitoring in vivo lipolysis in mycobacteria and for obtaining new insights on the growth of cells and their entry into the dormant or reactivation phase. It should be particularly useful for studying the effects of chemical inhibitors and activators on cells as well as investigating other metabolic pathways.     

A coat protein on phagosomes involved in the intracellular survival of mycobacteria.

Mycobacteria are intracellular pathogens that can survive within macrophage phagosomes, thereby evading host defense strategies by largely unknown mechanisms. We have identified a WD repeat host protein that was recruited to and actively retained on phagosomes by living, but not dead, mycobacteria. This protein, termed TACO, represents a component of the phagosome coat that is normally released prior to phagosome fusion with or maturation into lysosomes. In macrophages lacking TACO, mycobacteria were readily transported to lysosomes followed by their degradation. Expression of TACO in nonmacrophages prevented lysosomal delivery of mycobacteria and prolonged their intracellular survival. Active retention of TACO on phagosomes by living mycobacteria thus represents a mechanism preventing cargo delivery to lysosomes, allowing mycobacteria to survive within macrophages.