Features of host cell invasion by different infective forms of Trypanosoma cruzi

Through its life cycle from the insect vector to mammalian hosts Trypanosoma cruzi has developed clever strategies to reach the intracellular milieu where it grows sheltered from the hosts' immune system. We have been interested in several aspects of in vitro interactions of different infective forms of the parasite with cultured mammalian cells. We have observed that not only the classically infective trypomastigotes but also amastigotes, originated from the extracellular differentiation of trypomastigotes, can infect cultured cells. Interestingly, the process of invasion of different parasite infective forms is remarkably distinct and also highly dependent on the host cell type.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry identification of mycobacterium bovis in bovinae

In this study, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry was used to identify Mycobacterium bovis from cattle and buffalo tissue isolates from the North and South regions of Brazil, grown in solid medium and previously identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based on Region of Difference 4 (RD4), sequencing and spoligotyping. For this purpose, the protein extraction protocol and the mass spectra reference database were optimized for the identification of 80 clinical isolates of mycobacteria. As a result of this optimization, it was possible to identify and differentiate M. bovis from other members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex with 100% specificity, 90.91% sensitivity and 91.25% reliability. MALDI-TOF MS methodology described herein provides successful identification of M. bovis within bovine/bubaline clinical samples, demonstrating its usefulness for bovine tuberculosis diagnosis in the future.Instituto de BiotecnologíaFil: Bacanelli, Gisele. Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul. Biotechnology and Biodiversity of the Central Western Region Postgraduate Program; BrasilFil: Olarte, Larissa C. Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Multicentric Postgraduate Program; BrasilFil: Silva, Marcio Roberto. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa). Gado de Leite; BrasilFil: Rodrigues, Rudielle A. Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary Sciences Postgraduate Program; BrasilFil: Carneiro, Paulo A. M. Michigan State University. Center for Comparative Epidemiology; Estados UnidosFil: Kannene, John B. Michigan State University. Center for Comparative Epidemiology; Estados UnidosFil: Pasquatti, Taynara N. Dom Bosco Catholic University; BrasilFil: Takatani, Haruo. Agricultural Defense Agency of Amazonas; BrasilFil: Zumarraga, Martin Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Etges, Rodrigo N. Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation; BrasilFil: Araujo, Flabio Ribeiro de. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa). Gado de Corte; BrasilFil: Verbisck, Newton V. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa). Gado de Corte; Brasi

Identificação por espectrometria de massa MALDI-TOF de Salmonella spp. e Escherichia coli isolados de carcaças bovinas

RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi introduzir a técnica de espectrometria de massa com fonte de ionização e dessorção a laser assistida por matriz e analisador de tempo-de-voo (MALDI-TOF) para incrementar o método tradicional microbiológico na detecção de Salmonella spp. e Escherichia coli em carcaças bovinas. Foram avaliadas 270 amostras de 90 carcaças de bovinos. Para isolamento de Salmonella spp. e E. coli, foram utilizadas, respectivamente, as metodologias descritas na ISO 6579:2002 e no Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods. As análises por MALDI-TOF foram realizadas a partir de isolados cultivados em ágar nutriente ou em caldo triptona de soja, provenientes das amostras com características bioquímicas positivas (n=7), inconclusivas (n=4) e negativas (n=85) para Salmonella spp. e bioquímicas positivas (n=37) e negativas (n=85) para E. coli. Os perfis de massas foram adquiridos com o espectrômetro de massas MALDI-TOF Autoflex III SmartBeam e os espectros brutos foram processados usando o programa MALDI Biotyper (Bruker Daltonics). De acordo com a identificação preliminar, com base na morfologia das colônias e nas reações bioquímicas, sete isolados foram considerados positivos para Salmonella spp. Através do MALDI Biotyper, esses sete isolados foram classificados como pertencentes ao gênero Salmonella e, além disso, identificados como S. enterica. Quatro isolados que apresentaram características fenotípicas não usuais e resultados inconclusivos nos testes bioquímicos para Salmonella foram identificados como pertencentes aos gêneros Citrobacter e Proteus após análise por MALDI. Para E. coli, 37 amostras foram positivas pelos testes bioquímicos da espécie, o que foi confirmado por MALDI Biotyper. A metodologia MALDI-TOF permitiu a rápida confirmação da identidade de Salmonella spp. e E. coli, podendo ser utilizada para detecção desses microrganismos em isolados bacterianos de carcaças bovinas

Features of Host Cell Invasion by Different Infective Forms of Trypanosoma cruzi

Through its life cycle from the insect vector to mammalian hosts Trypanosoma cruzi has developed clever strategies to reach the intracellular milieu where it grows sheltered from the hosts' immune system. We have been interested in several aspects of in vitro interactions of different infective forms of the parasite with cultured mammalian cells. We have observed that not only the classically infective trypomastigotes but also amastigotes, originated from the extracellular differentiation of trypomastigotes, can infect cultured cells. Interestingly, the process of invasion of different parasite infective forms is remarkably distinct and also highly dependent on the host cell type

ADAM23 Negatively Modulates alpha(v)beta(3) Integrin Activation during Metastasis

The ADAM23 gene is frequently silenced in different types of tumors, and, in breast tumors, silencing is correlated with tumor progression, suggesting that it might be associated with the acquisition of a metastatic phenotype. ADAM23 exerts its function mainly through the disintegrin domain, because its metalloprotease domain is inactive. Analysis of ADAM23 binding to integrins has revealed a specific interaction with alpha(v)beta(3) integrin mediated by the disintegrin domain. Altered expression of alpha(v)beta(3) integrin has been observed in different types of tumors, and expression of this integrin in the activated form has been shown to promote metastasis formation. Here, we investigated the possibility that interaction between ADAM23 and alpha(v)beta(3) integrin might negatively modulate alpha(v)beta(3) activation during metastatic progression. ADAM23 expression was knocked down using short hairpin RNA in the MDA-MB-435 cell line, which has been extensively used as a model for alpha(v)beta(3) integrin activation. Ablation of ADAM23 enhanced alpha(v)beta(3) integrin activation by at least 2- to 4-fold and ADAM23 knockdown cells showed enhanced migration and adhesion to classic alpha(v)beta(3) integrin ligands. Ablation of ADAM23 expression also enhanced pulmonary tumor cell arrest in immunodeficient mice. To complement our findings with clinical evidence, we showed that silencing of ADAM23 gene by DNA promoter hypermethylation in a collection of 94 primary breast tumors was significantly associated with lower distant metastases-free and disease-specific survivals and was an independent prognostic factor for poor disease outcome. Our results strongly support a functional role of ADAM23 during metastatic progression by negatively modulating alpha(v)beta(3) integrin activation. [Cancer Res 2009;69(13):5546-52]FAPESP[04/09088-9