engleski

The interaction between Francisella and amoeba in terms of cell death

Francisella tularensis is a gram-negative, intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of the disease called tularemia. Francisella species can infect a variety of cells, including cells of Acanthamoeba castellanii, but its life cycle, maintenance in the aquatic microenvironment, and mode of transmission are still unclear. The aim of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of Francisella species adaptation and survival in amoebae within aquatic environments. In this study, A. castellanii cells were infected with F. novicida, F. philomiragia, or F. tularensis LVS strain and the mechanisms of cell death at 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours post- infection were investigated by flow cytometry and real-time quantitative PCR. Our results showed that Francisella strains did not play a significant role in inducing early apoptosis, late apoptosis, or necrosis of A. castellanii cells in the first 48 hours after infection. Further, real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression of autophagy-related genes ATG16, ATG12, and ATG8 increased, whereas the expression of metacaspase (MCA) genes decreased in A. castellanii cells over a 48-hour period. Expression of interleukin-1 converting enzyme (ICE)-like protease genes was not detected during the study period. The results of our study clearly indicate that autophagy play a role in Francisella-amoeba interaction during the first 48 hours after infection.

Acanthamoeba ; apoptosis ; autophagy ; Francisella ; necrosis

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