TLRs function as pattern recognition receptors in mammals and play an essential role in the recognition of microbial components. We found that the injection of glycoinositolphospholipids (GIPLs) from Trypanosoma cruzi into the peritoneal cavity of mice induced neutrophil recruitment in a TLR4-dependent manner: the injection of GIPL in the TLR4-deficient strain of mice (C57BL/ 10ScCr) caused no inflammatory response. In contrast, in TLR2 knockout mice, neutrophil chemoattraction did not differ significantly from that seen in wild-type controls. GIPL-induced neutrophil attraction and MIP-2 production were also severely affected in TLR4-mutant C3H/HeJ mice. The role of TLR4 was confirmed in vitro by testing genetically engineered mutants derived from TLR2-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 fibroblasts that were transfected with CD14 (CHO/CD14). Wildtype CHO/CD14 cells express the hamster TLR4 molecule and the mutant line, in addition, expresses a nonfunctional form of MD-2. In comparison to wild-type cells, mutant CHO/CD14 cells failed to respond to GIPLs, indicating a necessity for a functional TLR4/MD-2 complex in GIPL-induced NF-B activation. Finally, we found that TLR4-mutant mice were hypersusceptible to T. cruzi infection, as evidenced by a higher parasitemia and earlier mortality. These results demonstrate that natural resistance to T. cruzi is TLR4 dependent, most likely due to TLR4 recognition of their GIPLs.

We have investigated the structure of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor and the O-linked glycan chains of the 40/45-kDa glycoprotein from the cell surface of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. This glycoconjugate is the major acceptor for sialic acid transferred by trans-sialidase of T. cruzi Y-strain, epimastigote form. The GPI anchor was liberated by treatment with hot alkali, and the phosphoinositol-oligosaccharide moiety was characterized and shown to have the following structure. [formula: see text] Unusually the glucosamine was 6-O-substituted with 2-aminoethylphosphonate, and 2-aminoethylphosphonate was also present on the third mannose residue distal to glucosamine, partially replacing the ethanolamine phosphate. The beta-eliminated reduced oligosaccharide chains showed that two novel classes of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine oligosaccharide were present. The first series had the structures Galp beta 1-3GlcNAc-ol; Galp beta 1-6(Galp beta 1-3)GlcNAc-ol; and Galp beta 1-2Galp beta 1-6(Galp beta 1-3)GlcNAc-ol, whereas the other series had a 1-4 linkage to N-acetylglucosaminitol and had structures Galp beta 1-4GlcNAc-ol, Galp beta 1-6(Galp beta 1-4)GlcNAc-ol, and Galp beta 1-2Galp beta 1-6(Galp beta 1-4)GlcNAc-ol. We have also investigated the kinetics of in vitro sialylation of these O-linked oligosaccharides by the T. cruzi transsialidase and have shown that incorporation of one molecule of sialic acid hinders entry of a second molecule when two potential acceptor sites are present.

In this report we describe studies on the structures of the O-linked carbohydrate units in cell-surface glycoproteins of epimastigote forms of the G-strain of Trypanosoma cruzi. Mild alkaline reductive degradation of the 38/43 kDa glycoproteins resulted in beta-elimination of glycosylated threonine and/or serine residues, and the liberation of N-acetylglucosaminitol, galactobiosyl-, galactotriosyl-, galactotetraosyl- and galactopentaosyl-N-acetylglucosaminitol. The structures of these oligosaccharide alditols were established by n.m.r. spectroscopy and methylation analysis as: Galf beta 1-4(Galp beta 1-6)GlcNAc-ol; Galp beta 1-3Galp beta 1-6(Galf beta 1-4)GlcNAc-ol; [(Galp beta 1-3)(Galp beta 1-2)Galp beta 1-6](Galf beta 1-4)GlcNAc-ol; [(Galp beta 1-3)(Galp beta 1-2)Galp beta 1-6](Galp beta 1-2Galf beta 1-4)GlcNAc-ol.

SummaryThe effects of capsular polysaccharides, galactoxylomannan (GalXM) and glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), from acapsular (GXM negative) and encapsulate strains of Cryptococcus neoformans were investigated in RAW 264.7 and peritoneal macrophages. Here, we demonstrate that GalXM and GXM induced different cytokines profiles in RAW 264.7 macrophages. GalXM induced production of TNF-a, NO and iNOS expression, while GXM predominantly induced TGF-b secretion. Both GalXM and GXM induced early morphological changes identified as autophagy and late macrophages apoptosis mediated by Fas/FasL interaction, a previously unidentified mechanism of virulence. GalXM was more potent than GXM at induction of Fas/FasL expression and apoptosis on macrophages in vitro and in vivo. These findings uncover a mechanism by which capsular polysaccharides from C. neoformans might compromise host immune responses.

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In the present study, we characterized the in vitro modulation of NETs (neutrophil extracellular traps) induced in human neutrophils by the opportunistic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, evaluating the participation of capsular polysaccharides glucuronoxylomanan (GXM) and glucuronoxylomannogalactan (GXMGal) in this phenomenon. The mutant acapsular strain CAP67 and the capsular polysaccharide GXMGal induced NET production. In contrast, the wild-type strain and the major polysaccharide GXM did not induce NET release. In addition, C. neoformans and the capsular polysaccharide GXM inhibited PMA-induced NET release. Additionally, we observed that the NET-enriched supernatants induced through CAP67 yeasts showed fungicidal activity on the capsular strain, and neutrophil elastase, myeloperoxidase, collagenase and histones were the key components for the induction of NET fungicidal activity. The signaling pathways associated with NET induction through the CAP67 strain were dependent on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and peptidylarginine deiminase-4 (PAD-4). Neither polysaccharide induced ROS production however both molecules blocked the production of ROS through PMA-activated neutrophils. Taken together, the results demonstrate that C. neoformans and the capsular component GXM inhibit the production of NETs in human neutrophils. This mechanism indicates a potentially new and important modulation factor for this fungal pathogen.

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Burkholderia kururiensis is a diazotrophic bacterium originally isolated from a polluted aquifer environment and presents a high level of similarity with the rice endophyte "B. brasilensis" species. This work assessed the ability of B. kururiensis to endophytically colonize rice plantlets by monitoring different tissues of root-inoculated plants for the presence of bacterial growth in different media, electron microscopy and by 16S rDNA analysis. Observations of roots, stems and leaves of inoculated rice plantlets by electron microscopy revealed B. kururiensis colonization predominantly on root hair zones, demonstrating endophytic colonization primarily through the endodermis, followed by spreading into xylem vessels, a possible pathway leading to aerial parts. Although indifferent for the bacterial growth itself, addition of a nitrogen source was a limiting factor for endophytic colonization. As endophytic colonization was directly associated to an enhanced plant development, production of phytohormone auxin/indole-3-acetic acid by B. kururiensis was assayed with transgenic rice plantlets containing an auxin-responsive reporter (DR5-GUS). Our findings suggest the ability of auxin production by plant-associated B. kururiensis which may have a stimulatory effect on plant development, as evidenced by activation of DR5-GUS. We hereby demonstrate, for the first time, the ability of B. kururiensis to endophytically colonize rice, promoting both plant growth and rice grain yield.