Gene Expression Analysis of Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) Suggests a Role for Reactive Oxygen Species in Response to Yersinia pestis Infection

Zhou, Wei; Russell, Colin W.; Johnson, Kody L.; Mortensen, Richard D.; Erickson, David L.

doi:10.1603/me11172

Cited by 25 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Recently, it was shown that ROS (H 2 O 2 ) levels in midgut were higher (over 10 mM) in Y. pestis infected fleas. Antioxidant treatment prior to infection decreased ROS levels and resulted in higher Yersinia pestis loads [64]. An OxyR Y. pestis mutant showed reduced growth in fleas early after infection [64].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Antioxidant treatment prior to infection decreased ROS levels and resulted in higher Yersinia pestis loads [64]. An OxyR Y. pestis mutant showed reduced growth in fleas early after infection [64]. ROS are potentially toxic for both the host cell and pathogenic bacteria [16], [65], [66], [67].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An OxyR Y. pestis mutant showed reduced growth in fleas early after infection [64]. ROS are potentially toxic for both the host cell and pathogenic bacteria [16], [65], [66], [67]. Host cells are protected from oxidative damage by enzymes that detoxify ROS, such as SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) and thioredoxin peroxidase, that detoxify H 2 O 2 [68].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heme Binding Proteins of Bartonella henselae Are Required when Undergoing Oxidative Stress During Cell and Flea Invasion

et al. 2012

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Bartonella are hemotropic bacteria responsible for emerging zoonoses. These heme auxotroph alphaproteobacteria must import heme for their growth, since they cannot synthesize it. To import exogenous heme, Bartonella genomes encode for a complete heme uptake system enabling transportation of this compound into the cytoplasm and degrading it to release iron. In addition, these bacteria encode for four or five outer membrane heme binding proteins (Hbps). The structural genes of these highly homologous proteins are expressed differently depending on oxygen, temperature and heme concentrations. These proteins were hypothesized as being involved in various cellular processes according to their ability to bind heme and their regulation profile. In this report, we investigated the roles of the four Hbps of Bartonella henselae, responsible for cat scratch disease. We show that Hbps can bind heme in vitro. They are able to enhance the efficiency of heme uptake when co-expressed with a heme transporter in Escherichia coli. Using B. henselae Hbp knockdown mutants, we show that these proteins are involved in defense against the oxidative stress, colonization of human endothelial cell and survival in the flea.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heme Binding Proteins of Bartonella henselae Are Required when Undergoing Oxidative Stress During Cell and Flea Invasion

et al. 2012

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“…Moreover, factors that contribute to resistance to infection or elimination of Y. pestis within the flea may be downregulated or altered in function at lower temperatures. In a recent study, genes identified as being involved in the production of reactive oxygen species in response to Y. pestis infection in X. cheopis fleas (Zhou et al 2012) may be less active or nonfunctional at lower temperatures. Toxic degradation products derived from the flea blood meal and from which Y. pestis is thought to be protected via expression of ymt, encoding a phospholipase D required for survival of Y. pestis in the flea, may be less abundant in fleas maintained at low temperatures, thus reducing exposure of Y. pestis to these compounds (Hinnebusch et al 1998).…”

Section: Low-temperature Transmission Of Y Pestismentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Low-Temperature Flea Maintenance on the Transmission ofYersinia pestisbyOropsylla montana

Williams

Schotthoefer

Montenieri

et al. 2013

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

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Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is primarily a rodent-associated, flea-borne zoonosis maintained in sylvatic foci throughout western North America. Transmission to humans is mediated most commonly by the flea vector Oropsylla montana and occurs predominantly in the southwestern United States. With few exceptions, previous studies showed O. montana to be an inefficient vector at transmitting Y. pestis at ambient temperatures, particularly when such fleas were fed on susceptible hosts more than a few days after ingesting an infectious blood meal. We examined whether holding fleas at subambient temperatures affected the transmissibility of Y. pestis by this vector. An infectious blood meal containing a virulent Y. pestis strain (CO96-3188) was given to colony-reared O. montana fleas. Potentially infected fleas were maintained at different temperatures (6°C, 10°C, 15°C, or 23°C). Transmission efficiencies were tested by allowing up to 15 infectious fleas to feed on each of 7 naïve CD-1 mice on days 1-4, 7, 10, 14, 17, and 21 postinfection (p.i.). Mice were monitored for signs of infection for 21 days after exposure to infectious fleas. Fleas held at 6°C, 10°C, and 15°C were able to effectively transmit at every time point p.i. The percentage of transmission to naïve mice by fleas maintained at low temperatures (46.0% at 6°C, 71.4% at 10°C, 66.7% at 15°C) was higher than for fleas maintained at 23°C (25.4%) and indicates that O. montana fleas efficiently transmit Y. pestis at low temperatures. Moreover, pooled percent per flea transmission efficiencies for flea cohorts maintained at temperatures of 10°C and 15°C (8.67% and 7.87%, respectively) showed a statistically significant difference in the pooled percent per flea transmission efficiency from fleas maintained at 23°C (1.94%). This is the first comprehensive study to demonstrate efficient transmission of Y. pestis by O. montana fleas maintained at temperatures as low as 6°C. Our findings further contribute to the understanding of plague ecology in temperate climates by providing support for the hypothesis that Y. pestis is able to overwinter within the flea gut and potentially cause infection during the following transmission season. The findings also might hold implications for explaining the focality of plague in tropical regions.

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“…Although flea gene expression has been investigated by a few groups (Dreher-Lesnick et al, 2010;Zhou et al, 2012), flea immunology remains overlooked. Yersinia pestis, the agent of plague, regulates gene expression in both fleas and mammals (Vadyvaloo et al, 2010).…”

Section: Kissing Bugs Sandflies and Fleasmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ‘ubiquitous’ reality of vector immunology

et al. 2013

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SUMMARY Ubiquitination (Ubiquitylation) is a common protein modification that regulates a multitude of processes within the cell. This modification is typically accomplished through the covalent binding of ubiquitin to a lysine residue onto a target protein and is catalyzed by the presence of three enzymes: an activating enzyme (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2), and ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3). In recent years, ubiquitination has risen as a major signaling regulator of immunity and microbial pathogenesis in the mammalian system. Still, little is known about how ubiquitin relates specifically to vector immunology. Here, we provide a brief overview of ubiquitin biochemistry and describe how ubiquitination regulates immune responses in arthropods of medical relevance. We also discuss scientific gaps in the literature and suggest that, similar to mammals, ubiquitin is a major regulator of immunity in medically-important arthropods.

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Gene Expression Analysis of Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) Suggests a Role for Reactive Oxygen Species in Response to Yersinia pestis Infection

Cited by 25 publications

References 30 publications

Heme Binding Proteins of Bartonella henselae Are Required when Undergoing Oxidative Stress During Cell and Flea Invasion

Heme Binding Proteins of Bartonella henselae Are Required when Undergoing Oxidative Stress During Cell and Flea Invasion

Effects of Low-Temperature Flea Maintenance on the Transmission ofYersinia pestisbyOropsylla montana

The ‘ubiquitous’ reality of vector immunology

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