Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Infection and Immunity, April 2005, p. 2559-2563, Vol. 73, No. 4
0019-9567/05/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/IAI.73.4.2559-2563.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Department of Medicine,1 McLaughlin-Rotman Center for Global Health, McLaughlin Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Toronto,2 Tropical Disease Unit, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada3
Received 13 September 2004/ Returned for modification 13 October 2004/ Accepted 2 December 2004
|
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
We demonstrate that murine and human monocyte-derived macrophages can recognize and phagocytose RPEs (see Fig. 1 to 3). To ensure that only ring-stage parasites were used in phagocytosis assays (15, 21), we used procedures (2, 10) to generate highly synchronous ring-stage cultures (purity, >99% RPEs) and used cryopreserved malaria isolates and fresh clinical isolates that only contained RPEs (confirmed by microscopic criteria) (see Fig. 4). To ensure that only RPEs were quantified in phagocytic assays, we used a strict lysis procedure to remove adherent erythrocytes and morphological criteria (12, 23) to ensure that only phagocytosed PE were counted. The slides were read blinded to the experimental conditions and confirmed by a second reader.
![]() View larger version (21K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 1. Anti-CD36 antibody reduces phagocytosis of RPEs by human and murine macrophages (m s). Human monocyte-derived macrophages and murine macrophages were cotreated with IgG Fc fragments (20 µg/ml) to block Fc receptors and 10 µg of MAbs to human or murine macrophage receptors per ml (where indicated), followed by incubation with non-PEs (NPE) or RPEs (A) and MPEs (B) (12, 15). Phagocytosis was assessed by light microscopy by counting 500 to 1,000 cells and expressed as the percentage of macrophages that had phagocytosed at least one RPE. The results show that Fc receptor-blocked human and murine macrophages can internalize RPEs. CD36 receptor blockade with 10 µg of anti-CD36 MAb per ml resulted in a significant decrease in phagocytosis of nonopsonized RPEs by human macrophages (mean decrease of 65%, left side) and murine macrophages (mean decrease of 82%, right side). MAbs to ICAM-1 (CD54), CD18 or CD19 (isotype controls), integrins (CD51/61, CD51), and CD14 did not result in a significant decrease in phagocytosis. Experiments were performed in triplicate, and the data shown represent the mean ± the standard deviation of at least six independent experiments. (*, P < 0.05 for RPE versus anti-CD36; Student's t test).
|
![]() View larger version (18K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 3. Upregulating CD36 increases phagocytosis of RPEs obtained from synchronized cultures. Human monocyte-derived macrophages (m s) (left side) and BALB/c murine macrophages (right side) were treated with 50 µM troglitazone ( ) or with dimethyl sulfoxide as a control ( ) and then used in RPE phagocytosis assays as previously described (21). Fc receptors were blocked in all assays, and where indicated, CD36 was blocked by preincubation with 10 µg of FA6-152 per ml for human macrophages and clone 63 for murine macrophages, or RPEs were pretreated with 50 µg of trypsin per ml and washed before use in phagocytosis assays. Data shown are means ± standard deviations of at least four independent experiments. Phagocytosis of RPEs was increased in macrophages treated with 50 µM troglitazone for 48 h ( 108% ± 31% and 140% ± 33% for human and murine macrophages, respectively) compared to phagocytosis by control macrophages (*, P < 0.01; Student's t test; n = 12 per group). Anti-CD36 and trypsin treatment significantly reduced RPE uptake by troglitazone-treated macrophages (**, P < 0.01).
|
![]() View larger version (18K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 4. Upregulating CD36 increases phagocytosis of RPEs obtained from cryopreserved synchronized cultures and from patient isolates. CD36 wild-type (WT) and CD36-null (KO) murine macrophages were used with cryopreserved synchronized ring-stage parasite cultures (left side) and a fresh patient isolate of ring-stage P. falciparum (right side). Macrophages were treated with 50 µM troglitazone (TRO) or with dimethyl sulfoxide as a control (CTR) for 48 h and then used in RPE phagocytosis assays. Where indicated, RPE suspensions were treated with 50 µg of trypsin per ml and macrophages were treated with 10 µg of anti-CD36 (clone 63) per ml. After incubation and hypotonic lysis to remove noninternalized PEs, macrophages were fixed and stained with Diff-Quik stain and phagocytosis was assessed by light microscopy. Data show a significant increase (**, P < 0.01; Student's t test) in RPE uptake with cryopreserved synchronized RPE cultures (left side, 130%) and a patient isolate of RPEs (right side, 260%). Blocking CD36 and treating cultures with trypsin significantly reduced phagocytosis of RPEs. In all cases, results are presented as the mean ± the standard deviation of at least four independent experiments. Macrophages were treated with IgG Fc fragments and incubated with RPEs ( ) or subjected to an anti-CD36 blockade ( ) or trypsin treatment (
|
To confirm the role of CD36 in mediating RPE uptake, we examined phagocytosis by CD36 wild-type and CD36-null macrophages (7, 15). Phagocytosis of RPEs was reduced by
90% in CD36-null macrophages. To investigate whether other macrophage receptors might cooperate with CD36 or mediate uptake in the absence of CD36 (1, 6, 14, 18, 19, 28, 29), we performed phagocytosis assays with wild-type and CD36-null macrophages in the presence of MAbs to other macrophage surface receptors. MAb blockade of receptors other than CD36 did not significantly decrease uptake of RPEs (Fig. 2A). Since pattern recognition receptors such as the mannose receptor have also been implicated in opsonin-independent phagocytosis of P. chabaudi (26), we investigated whether the mannose receptor contributed to RPE uptake. As shown in Fig. 2A, mannan did not significantly decrease uptake of RPEs but did inhibit uptake of MPEs compared to ß-glucan treatment (data not shown).
![]() View larger version (17K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 2. CD36 and protease-sensitive ligands mediate the uptake of RPEs by murine macrophages. (A) CD36 wild-type (WT) ( ) or CD36-null (KO [knockout]) ( ) murine macrophages were incubated in the presence of a panel of MAbs (as indicated) prior to phagocytosis assays with RPEs. Fc receptor-blocked macrophages were also treated with 3 µg of mannan per ml at room temperature for 30 min to block the mannose receptor. Phagocytosis of RPEs by CD36-null murine macrophages was reduced by 90% compared to phagocytosis by CD36 wild-type murine macrophages (*, P < 0.01; n = 4). (B) Treating RPEs with trypsin reduces their phagocytosis by murine macrophages. Cultures containing nonopsonized RPEs were incubated with different concentrations of trypsin (25, 50, and 100 µg/ml), washed repeatedly, and then incubated with macrophages. Phagocytosis of trypsin-treated RPEs was reduced by 60% ± 23%, 77% ± 18%, and 92% ± 20% (mean ± standard deviation), respectively, by treatment with 25, 50, and 100 µg of trypsin per ml compared to phagocytosis of control nontreated RPEs. Treatment with 25 µg of trypsin per ml decreased phagocytosis of RPEs to a degree similar to that of receptor blockade by treatment with 10 µg of anti-CD36 per ml (*, P < 0.05). When the concentration of trypsin used for treatment was increased, RPE uptake decreased proportionally compared to control uptake (**, P < 0.01; n = 3).
|
The CD36 gene promoter contains a response element recognized by the nuclear receptor heterodimer PPAR
-RXR (8, 27), and PPAR
-RXR agonists increase CD36 expression and uptake of MPEs (15, 21, 22). We tested the hypothesis that PPAR
agonists would increase macrophage uptake of RPEs by upregulating CD36 or other macrophage pattern recognition receptors. Phagocytosis of synchronized RPEs (Fig. 3) or RPEs from cryopreserved or fresh clinical isolates (Fig. 4) was significantly increased by pretreatment of macrophages with PPAR
agonists. The increased uptake appeared to be CD36 dependent since it was eliminated by CD36 receptor blockade.
RPE adhesion has been reported in parasites that subsequently acquire the chondroitin sulfate A (CSA)-binding phenotype (16). We examined phagocytosis of RPEs from parasite lines E8B, which binds to CD36, and CS2, which binds to CSA. The uptake of CS2 RPEs was significantly lower than that of E8B RPEs (Fig. 5).
![]() View larger version (14K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 5. RPEs derived from CSA-binding isolate CS2 are not phagocytosed by macrophages. Phagocytosis of RPEs by Fc receptor-blocked (CD36 wild-type [WT] and CD36-null [KO]) macrophages was performed with RPEs from parasite line E8B, which binds CD36 (RPEE8B), and parasite line CS2, which binds CSA (RPECS2). Macrophages pretreated with 20 µg of Fc fragments per ml were also incubated with 1 mg of CSA per ml for 30 min where indicated. Compared to the uptake of RPEs derived from E8B, the uptake of RPEs derived from CS2 is about fivefold lower. Addition of CSA had no significant effect. Experiments were performed in duplicate, and the data shown are representative of three independent experiments. (*, P < 0.01 for RPEE8B versus RPECS2 or RPEE8B plus CSA versus RPECS2 plus CSA; Student's t test; n = 3).
|
agonists, which upregulate surface levels of CD36. These data suggest that nonopsonic uptake in vitro appears to be largely dependent on CD36 and not on other macrophage receptors such as ICAM-1,
vß3, or PECAM-1 or pattern recognition receptors such as the mannose receptor or CD14. These observations are similar to those reported for uptake of MPEs by macrophages (12, 15, 21); however, different surface ligands may interact with CD36 in these cases. For MPEs, previous studies suggest that PfEMP-1 is the primary ligand interacting with CD36 (12, 15, 21). RPEs may express one or more surface ligands capable of interacting with CD36. Pouvelle and colleagues (16) have shown that RPE can adhere to an unknown receptor on syncytiotrophoblast and endothelial cells. Adhesion was dependent upon the presence of a parasite rhoptry-derived ring surface protein, RSP-2 (5). Their studies indicate that RSP-2 appears earlier on malaria-infected erythrocytes than does PfEMP-1, but both ligands may be simultaneously present on the same erythrocyte. In contrast, Udomsangpetch and colleagues attributed RPE cytoadherence to PfEMP-1 (29). The var genes that encode PfEMP-1 have been shown to be expressed as early as 3 h after merozoite invasion (11). Recent data indicate that PfEMP-1 is expressed in RPEs and that trafficking to the membrane is facilitated at elevated temperatures (29). Additional study is required to better characterize the RPE ligand(s) that interacts with CD36. In summary, our data indicate that the scavenger receptor CD36 participates in clearance of RPEs in vitro and may contribute to innate control of blood-stage infection; however this will require confirmation in vivo.
|
|
|---|
vß3). J. Immunol. 161:6250-6257.
secretion by monocytes/macrophages. J. Immunol. 166:6742-6748.
promotes monocyte/macrophage differentiation and uptake of oxidized LDL. Cell 93:241-252.[CrossRef][Medline]
This article has been cited by other articles:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»