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Arginase activity in pathogenic and non-pathogenic species of Leishmania parasites.
- Source :
-
PLoS neglected tropical diseases [PLoS Negl Trop Dis] 2017 Jul 14; Vol. 11 (7), pp. e0005774. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Jul 14 (Print Publication: 2017). - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Proliferation of Leishmania (L.) parasites depends on polyamine availability, which can be generated by the L-arginine catabolism and the enzymatic activity of arginase (ARG) of the parasites and of the mammalian hosts. In the present study, we characterized and compared the arginase (arg) genes from pathogenic L. major and L. tropica and from non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. We quantified the level of the ARG activity in promastigotes and macrophages infected with pathogenic L. major and L. tropica and non-pathogenic L. tarentolae amastigotes. The ARG's amino acid sequences of the pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania demonstrated virtually 98.6% and 88% identities with the reference L. major Friedlin ARG. Higher ARG activity was observed in all pathogenic promastigotes as compared to non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. In vitro infection of human macrophage cell line (THP1) with pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania spp. resulted in increased ARG activities in the infected macrophages. The ARG activities present in vivo were assessed in susceptible BALB/c and resistant C57BL/6 mice infected with L. major, L. tropica and L. tarentolae. We demonstrated that during the development of the infection, ARG is induced in both strains of mice infected with pathogenic Leishmania. However, in L. major infected BALB/c mice, the induction of ARG and parasite load increased simultaneously according to the time course of infection, whereas in C57BL/6 mice, the enzyme is upregulated solely during the period of footpad swelling. In L. tropica infected mice, the footpads' swellings were slow to develop and demonstrated minimal cutaneous pathology and ARG activity. In contrast, ARG activity was undetectable in mice inoculated with the non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. Our data suggest that infection by Leishmania parasites can increase ARG activity of the host and provides essential polyamines for parasite salvage and its replication. Moreover, the ARG of Leishmania is vital for parasite proliferation and required for infection in mice. ARG activity can be used as one of the main marker of the disease severity.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Arginase genetics
Arginine genetics
Cell Culture Techniques
Cell Line
Female
Humans
Leishmania classification
Leishmania genetics
Lymph Nodes parasitology
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Parasite Load
Phylogeny
Polyamines
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Arginase metabolism
Arginine analogs & derivatives
Leishmania enzymology
Leishmaniasis parasitology
Macrophages parasitology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1935-2735
- Volume :
- 11
- Issue :
- 7
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- PLoS neglected tropical diseases
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 28708893
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005774