This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Zhang, J.-z.
Right arrow Articles by Yu, X.-j.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Zhang, J.-z.
Right arrow Articles by Yu, X.-j.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, January 2004, p. 498-507, Vol. 72, No. 1
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.1.498-507.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Survival Strategy of Obligately Intracellular Ehrlichia chaffeensis: Novel Modulation of Immune Response and Host Cell Cycles

Jian-zhi Zhang,1 Mala Sinha,2 Bruce A. Luxon,2 and Xue-jie Yu1*

Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology,1 UTMB Bioinformatics Program and the Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 775552

Received 1 July 2003/ Returned for modification 12 September 2003/ Accepted 29 September 2003

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligatory intracellular bacterium which resides in an early endosome in monocytes. E. chaffeensis infection in a human monocyte cell line (THP1) significantly altered the transcriptional levels of 4.5% of host genes, including those coding for apoptosis inhibitors, proteins regulating cell differentiation, signal transduction, proinflammatory cytokines, biosynthetic and metabolic proteins, and membrane trafficking proteins. The transcriptional profile of the host cell revealed key themes in the pathogenesis of Ehrlichia. First, E. chaffeensis avoided stimulation of or repressed the transcription of cytokines involved in the early innate immune response and cell-mediated immune response to intracellular microbes, such as the interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-15, and IL-18 genes, which might make Ehrlichia a stealth organism for the macrophage. Second, E. chaffeensis up-regulated NF-{kappa}B and apoptosis inhibitors and differentially regulated cell cyclins and CDK expression, which may enhance host cell survival. Third, E. chaffeensis also inhibited the gene transcription of RAB5A, SNAP23, and STX16, which are involved in membrane trafficking. By comparing the transcriptional response of macrophages infected with other bacteria and that of macrophages infected with E. chaffeensis, we have identified few genes that are commonly induced and no commonly repressed genes. These results illustrate the stereotyped macrophage response to other pathogens, in contrast with the novel host response to obligate intracellular Ehrlichia, whose survival depends entirely on a long evolutionary process of outmaneuvering macrophages.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Route 0609, Galveston, TX 77555-0609. Phone: (409) 747-1786. Fax: (409) 747-2415. E-mail: xuyu{at}utmb.edu.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

Infection and Immunity, January 2004, p. 498-507, Vol. 72, No. 1
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.1.498-507.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Luce-Fedrow, A., Von Ohlen, T., Chapes, S. K. (2009). Ehrlichia chaffeensis Infections in Drosophila melanogaster. Infect. Immun. 77: 4815-4826 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nandi, B., Chatterjee, M., Hogle, K., McLaughlin, M., MacNamara, K., Racine, R., Winslow, G. M. (2009). Antigen Display, T-Cell Activation, and Immune Evasion during Acute and Chronic Ehrlichiosis. Infect. Immun. 77: 4643-4653 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zhu, B., Nethery, K. A., Kuriakose, J. A., Wakeel, A., Zhang, X., McBride, J. W. (2009). Nuclear Translocated Ehrlichia chaffeensis Ankyrin Protein Interacts with a Specific Adenine-Rich Motif of Host Promoter and Intronic Alu Elements. Infect. Immun. 77: 4243-4255 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wakeel, A., Kuriakose, J. A., McBride, J. W. (2009). An Ehrlichia chaffeensis Tandem Repeat Protein Interacts with Multiple Host Targets Involved in Cell Signaling, Transcriptional Regulation, and Vesicle Trafficking. Infect. Immun. 77: 1734-1745 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Miura, K., Rikihisa, Y. (2009). Liver Transcriptome Profiles Associated with Strain-Specific Ehrlichia chaffeensis-Induced Hepatitis in SCID Mice. Infect. Immun. 77: 245-254 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Luce-Fedrow, A., Von Ohlen, T., Boyle, D., Ganta, R. R., Chapes, S. K. (2008). Use of Drosophila S2 Cells as a Model for Studying Ehrlichia chaffeensis Infections. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 1886-1891 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sukumaran, S. K., Selvaraj, S. K., Prasadarao, N. V. (2004). Inhibition of Apoptosis by Escherichia coli K1 Is Accompanied by Increased Expression of BclXL and Blockade of Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Release in Macrophages. Infect. Immun. 72: 6012-6022 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zhang, J.-z., Guo, H., Winslow, G. M., Yu, X.-j. (2004). Expression of Members of the 28-Kilodalton Major Outer Membrane Protein Family of Ehrlichia chaffeensis during Persistent Infection. Infect. Immun. 72: 4336-4343 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»