IHEM   20887
INSTITUTO DE HISTOLOGIA Y EMBRIOLOGIA DE MENDOZA DR. MARIO H. BURGOS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Galectin-1 enhances Chamydial infection by increasing N-Glycan-dependet invasion of Host Cells
Autor/es:
MARÍA T DAMIANI; JULIÁN GAMBARTE TUDELA; ANTONELLA D LOSINNO; AGUSTIN L LUJAN; GABRIEL A RABINOVICH; DIEGO O CROCI
Lugar:
BUENOS AIRES
Reunión:
Congreso; REUNION CONJUNTA DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIAS; 2017
Resumen:
Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) constitutes the most prevalent sexually-transmitted bacterium worldwide for which no effective vaccine exists. Ct is an obligate intracellular pathogen that causes a broad range of acute and chronic genital pathologies in both, men and women. Chronic infections are responsible for severe reproductive tissue damage and lead to female tubal obstruction and infertility. In this work, we evaluate if Galectin-1 (Gal-1), a soluble carbohydrate-binding protein, participates in the recognition and attachment of Ct to human cervical epithelial cells. By lectin blot and flow cytometry, we described the glycan profile of the chlamydial cell wall and the epithelial host cell. We found that Gal-1 increases Ct binding to HeLa cells in a doses dependent manner, assessed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Likely, Gal-1 promotes chlamydial infection by bridging bacterial N-glycans to eukaryotic membrane glycoproteins. Electron microscopy images suggest that Gal-1 could tie together bacterial N-glycans, enhancing bacteria-bacteria interactions and the invasion of host cells by 2-3 grouped Ct, thus, increasing even more chlamydial infection. In agreement, Gal1 increased chlamydial infection in vivo in an animal model of genital infection. Taken together, our results showed that Gal1 binds to both bacterial and host N-glycans, favoring the recognition, adhesion and internalization of this widespread obligate intracellular pathogen to human cervical cells. Unveiling the mechanisms used by Ct to invade host cells could help to find new therapeutic targets for controlling this highly frequent sexually-transmitted infection.