ABSTRACT
Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes are able to resist lysis via the complement system, which involves many surface proteins including the complement regulatory protein (CRP). To examine the diversity in CRP recognition among strains of T. cruzi, the expression levels of the translated protein on trypomastigote surfaces were analyzed by flow cytometry, and associations between protein expression and the biological behavior of these strains, especially the ability to induce lytic antibodies in animal models, were assessed. The highly virulent T. cruzi strains Ninoa, INC-5, and Colombiana and the less virulent strains CL-Brener, LGB-231, and JG were used in the experiments. An expression profile analysis showed that the Colombiana and INC-5 strains have higher translated protein levels and induced higher production of antibodies in mice than the other strains. Our results indicated that there are differences in the surface expression of CRP between parasite strains, with a tendency for the most virulent strains to have higher expression levels. Combined, these results contribute to a better understanding of CRP functions and the complexity of host-parasite interactions, considering the large number of virulence factors involved in the process.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Protozoan/biosynthesis , Chagas Disease/parasitology , Complement System Proteins/metabolism , Membrane Glycoproteins/biosynthesis , Protozoan Proteins/biosynthesis , Trypanosoma cruzi/pathogenicity , Animals , Chagas Disease/immunology , Flow Cytometry , Host-Parasite Interactions , Male , Membrane Glycoproteins/immunology , Mice , Parasitemia/immunology , Parasitemia/parasitology , Protozoan Proteins/immunology , Random Allocation , Trypanosoma cruzi/immunology , VirulenceABSTRACT
Three Enterococcus faecalis and one Enterococcus faecium strains were characterized by plasmid profile, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and determination of antimicrobial minimal inhibitory concentrations. VanA elements were characterized by Long PCR, overlapping PCR and DNA sequencing. Enterococcal strains showed resistance to vancomycin and harbored the vanA gene, and three these were teicoplanin susceptible while one showed intermediate resistance to teicoplanin. Two E. faecalis strains showed indistinguishable PFGE profile while the third was unrelated. E. faecalis strains showed a deletion in the right terminal region of the Tn1546-like element. The E. faecium strain showed an insertion element in the vanXY intergenic region. Mutations in VanA elements were not found. Rearrangements in the VanA element could be responsible for incongruities in genotype and phenotype in these strains.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Enterococcus faecalis , Enterococcus faecium , Teicoplanin/pharmacology , Vancomycin/pharmacology , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Brazil , Carbon-Oxygen Ligases/genetics , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field , Enterococcus faecalis/drug effects , Enterococcus faecalis/genetics , Enterococcus faecalis/isolation & purification , Enterococcus faecium/drug effects , Enterococcus faecium/genetics , Enterococcus faecium/isolation & purification , Genotype , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Phenotype , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Vancomycin Resistance/geneticsABSTRACT
Three Enterococcus faecalis and one Enterococcus faecium strains were characterized by plasmid profile, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and determination of antimicrobial minimal inhibitory concentrations. VanA elements were characterized by Long PCR, overlapping PCR and DNA sequencing. Enterococcal strains showed resistance to vancomycin and harbored the vanA gene, and three these were teicoplanin susceptible while one showed intermediate resistance to teicoplanin. Two E. faecalis strains showed indistinguishable PFGE profile while the third was unrelated. E. faecalis strains showed a deletion in the right terminal region of the Tn1546-like element. The E. faecium strain showed an insertion element in the vanXY intergenic region. Mutations in VanA elements were not found. Rearrangements in the VanA element could be responsible for incongruities in genotype and phenotype in these strains.
