scholarly journals Mammalian Cell-Based Immunoassay for Detection of Viable Bacterial Pathogens

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luping Xu ◽  
Xingjian Bai ◽  
Shivendra Tenguria ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Rishi Drolia ◽  
...  

Rapid detection of live pathogens is of paramount importance to ensure food safety. At present, nucleic acid-based polymerase chain reaction and antibody-based lateral flow assays are the primary methods of choice for rapid detection, but these are prone to interference from inhibitors, and resident microbes. Moreover, the positive results may neither assure virulence potential nor viability of the analyte. In contrast, the mammalian cell-based assay detects pathogen interaction with the host cells and is responsive to only live pathogens, but the short shelf-life of the mammalian cells is the major impediment for its widespread application. An innovative approach to prolong the shelf-life of mammalian cells by using formalin was undertaken. Formalin (4% formaldehyde)-fixed human ileocecal adenocarcinoma cell line, HCT-8 on 24-well tissue culture plates was used for the capture of viable pathogens while an antibody was used for specific detection. The specificity of the Mammalian Cell-based ImmunoAssay (MaCIA) was validated with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Typhimurium as model pathogens and further confirmed against a panel of 15 S. Enteritidis strains, 8 S. Typhimurium, 11 other Salmonella serovars, and 14 non-Salmonella spp. The total detection time (sample-to-result) of MaCIA with artificially inoculated ground chicken, eggs, milk, and cake mix at 1–10 CFU/25 g was 16–21 h using a traditional enrichment set up but the detection time was shortened to 10–12 h using direct on-cell (MaCIA) enrichment. Formalin-fixed stable cell monolayers in MaCIA provide longer shelf-life (at least 14 weeks) for possible point-of-need deployment and multi-sample testing on a single plate.

2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun Wachter ◽  
Matteo Bonazzi ◽  
Kyle Shifflett ◽  
Abraham S. Moses ◽  
Rahul Raghavan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular gammaproteobacterium and zoonotic agent of Q fever. We previously identified 15 small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) of C. burnetii. One of them, CbsR12 (Coxiella burnetii small RNA 12), is highly transcribed during axenic growth and becomes more prominent during infection of cultured mammalian cells. Secondary structure predictions of CbsR12 revealed four putative CsrA-binding sites in stem loops with consensus AGGA/ANGGA motifs. We subsequently determined that CbsR12 binds to recombinant C. burnetii CsrA-2, but not CsrA-1, proteins in vitro. Moreover, through a combination of in vitro and cell culture assays, we identified several in trans mRNA targets of CbsR12. Of these, we determined that CbsR12 binds and upregulates translation of carA transcripts coding for carbamoyl phosphate synthetase A, an enzyme that catalyzes the first step of pyrimidine biosynthesis. In addition, CbsR12 binds and downregulates translation of metK transcripts coding for S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, a component of the methionine cycle. Furthermore, we found that CbsR12 binds to and downregulates the quantity of cvpD transcripts, coding for a type IVB effector protein, in mammalian cell culture. Finally, we found that CbsR12 is necessary for expansion of Coxiella-containing vacuoles and affects growth rates in a dose-dependent manner in the early phase of infecting THP-1 cells. This is the first characterization of a trans-acting sRNA of C. burnetii and the first example of a bacterial sRNA that regulates both CarA and MetK synthesis. CbsR12 is one of only a few identified trans-acting sRNAs that interacts with CsrA. IMPORTANCE Regulation of metabolism and virulence in C. burnetii is not well understood. Here, we show that C. burnetii small RNA 12 (CbsR12) is highly transcribed in the metabolically active large-cell variant compared to the nonreplicative small-cell variant. We show that CbsR12 directly regulates several genes involved in metabolism, along with a type IV effector gene, in trans. In addition, we demonstrate that CbsR12 binds to CsrA-2 in vitro and induces autoaggregation and biofilm formation when transcribed ectopically in Escherichia coli, consistent with other CsrA-sequestering sRNAs. These results implicate CbsR12 in the indirect regulation of a number of genes via CsrA-mediated regulatory activities. The results also support CbsR12 as a crucial regulatory component early on in a mammalian cell infection.


2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 439-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Suchland ◽  
Kara Brown ◽  
David M. Rothstein ◽  
Walter E. Stamm

ABSTRACT Chlamydia species are widely disseminated obligate intracellular pathogens that primarily cause urogenital, ocular, and respiratory infections. In these studies, we show that exposing mammalian cells to antibacterial agents prior to Chlamydia inoculation protects the host cells against subsequent challenge by chlamydiae (the protective effect [PE]). Rifalazil exhibited a considerably stronger PE than did azithromycin, rifampin, doxycycline, and ofloxacin. Specifically, 0.002 μg/ml rifalazil incubated for 1 day with a monolayer of McCoy cells was sufficient to protect against a challenge 2 days later with Chlamydia trachomatis serovar D (UW-3). The PE was observed with five different mammalian cell lines and with a variety of C. trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae isolates. The duration of the PE was 6 to 12 days for rifalazil (depending on the cell line), a maximum of 3 days for azithromycin, and less than a day for the other drugs tested. For rifalazil, the PE was shown to be mediated by inhibition of the chlamydial RNA polymerase since mutants with altered RNA polymerases had correspondingly altered PEs. These results suggest that rifalazil may be unique in its ability to prevent infection with obligate intracellular pathogens for a considerable time after treatment. This characteristic may be of particular public health value in reducing reinfection with chlamydiae.


2019 ◽  
Vol 244 (6) ◽  
pp. 526-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M Haley ◽  
Sean T Zuckerman ◽  
Catherine A Gormley ◽  
Julius N Korley ◽  
Horst A von Recum

A diverse range of clinical infections are on the increase, resulting in part from disruption of the natural microbiome, or even mycobiome, as a result of many different medical interventions. Amphotericin B (AmB) is a leading drug for the treatment of clinical fungal infections. However, AmB is extremely cytotoxic to mammalian cells, making use of the drug problematic. In this work, a drug delivery system made of polymerized cyclodextrin (pCD) allows for the localized administration of AmB, reducing the toxicity to host cells while retaining antifungal activity. A slow, sustained delivery rate of AmB was achieved through exploiting molecular interactions between the CD pockets and the drug. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the interaction between AmB and cyclodextrins (CDs). Through these methods, it was found that amphotericin binds strongly ([Formula: see text]M−1) to β-cyclodextrin. Release studies showed slow, sustained release of AmB from pCD disks. Antifungal activity was tested against Saccharomyces cerevisiae in assays for zone of inhibition, contact killing, and solution killing. In all assays, AmB-loaded pCD disks were found to exhibit significant antifungal activity. These results indicate that AmB-loaded pCD disks are capable of both the prevention of fungal growth and the elimination of established colonies. Additionally, results suggest that AmB exhibits antifungal activity whether associated with or released from pCD. The usage of pCD as a delivery vehicle also significantly reduces the toxic side effects of AmB, as seen in mammalian cell culture studies. These results show that in addition to reducing side-effects from systemic dosing, local delivery of AmB from pCD disks has the potential to improve its usage both in antifungal efficacy and reduced mammalian cell toxicity. Impact statement Amphotericin B (AmB) is an effective and commonly used antifungal agent. However, nephrotoxicity and poor solubility limits its usage. The proposed polymerized cyclodextrin (pCD) system therefore is an attractive method for AmB delivery, as it retains the antifungal activity of AmB while decreasing toxicity, and confining drug release to the local environment. This system could potentially be used for both prevention and treatment of established fungal infections, as AmB is toxic to fungus whether associated or released from pCD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia E. Sancilio ◽  
Richard T. D’Aquila ◽  
Elizabeth M. McNally ◽  
Matthew P. Velez ◽  
Michael G. Ison ◽  
...  

AbstractThe spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 engages the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to enter host cells, and neutralizing antibodies are effective at blocking this interaction to prevent infection. Widespread application of this important marker of protective immunity is limited by logistical and technical challenges associated with live virus methods and venous blood collection. To address this gap, we validated an immunoassay-based method for quantifying neutralization of the spike-ACE2 interaction in a single drop of capillary whole blood, collected on filter paper as a dried blood spot (DBS) sample. Samples are eluted overnight and incubated in the presence of spike antigen and ACE2 in a 96-well solid phase plate. Competitive immunoassay with electrochemiluminescent label is used to quantify neutralizing activity. The following measures of assay performance were evaluated: dilution series of confirmed positive and negative samples, agreement with results from matched DBS-serum samples, analysis of results from DBS samples with known COVID-19 status, and precision (intra-assay percent coefficient of variation; %CV) and reliability (inter-assay; %CV). Dilution series produced the expected pattern of dose–response. Agreement between results from serum and DBS samples was high, with concordance correlation = 0.991. Analysis of three control samples across the measurement range indicated acceptable levels of precision and reliability. Median % surrogate neutralization was 46.9 for PCR confirmed convalescent COVID-19 samples and 0.1 for negative samples. Large-scale testing is important for quantifying neutralizing antibodies that can provide protection against COVID-19 in order to estimate the level of immunity in the general population. DBS provides a minimally-invasive, low cost alternative to venous blood collection, and this scalable immunoassay-based method for quantifying inhibition of the spike-ACE2 interaction can be used as a surrogate for virus-based assays to expand testing across a wide range of settings and populations.


2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (10) ◽  
pp. 4081-4087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Weinkauf ◽  
Ryan Salvador ◽  
Mercio PereiraPerrin

ABSTRACTTrypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease, infects a variety of mammalian cells in a process that includes multiple cycles of intracellular division and differentiation starting with host receptor recognition by a parasite ligand(s). Earlier work in our laboratory showed that the neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) receptor TrkC is activated byT. cruzisurfacetrans-sialidase, also known as parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF). However, it has remained unclear whether TrkC is used byT. cruzito enter host cells. Here, we show that a neuronal cell line (PC12-NNR5) relatively resistant toT. cruzibecame highly susceptible to infection when overexpressing human TrkC but not human TrkB. Furthermore,trkCtransfection conferred an ∼3.0-fold intracellular growth advantage. Sialylation-deficient Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) epithelial cell lines Lec1 and Lec2 also became much more permissive toT. cruziafter transfection with thetrkCgene. Additionally, NT-3 specifically blockedT. cruziinfection of the TrkC-NNR5 transfectants and of naturally permissive TrkC-bearing Schwann cells and astrocytes, as did recombinant PDNF. Two specific inhibitors of Trk autophosphorylation (K252a and AG879) and inhibitors of Trk-induced MAPK/Erk (U0126) and Akt kinase (LY294002) signaling, but not an inhibitor of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, abrogated TrkC-mediated cell invasion. Antibody to TrkC blockedT. cruziinfection of the TrkC-NNR5 transfectants and of cells that naturally express TrkC. The TrkC antibody also significantly and specifically reduced cutaneous infection in a mouse model of acute Chagas' disease. TrkC is ubiquitously expressed in the peripheral and central nervous systems, and in nonneural cells infected byT. cruzi, including cardiac and gastrointestinal muscle cells. Thus, TrkC is implicated as a functional PDNF receptor in cell entry, independently of sialic acid recognition, mediating broadT. cruziinfection bothin vitroandin vivo.


2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 2890-2901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilena Gallotta ◽  
Giovanni Gancitano ◽  
Giampiero Pietrocola ◽  
Marirosa Mora ◽  
Alfredo Pezzicoli ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTGroup A streptococcus (GAS) is a human pathogen causing a wide repertoire of mild and severe diseases for which no vaccine is yet available. We recently reported the identification of three protein antigens that in combination conferred wide protection against GAS infection in mice. Here we focused our attention on the characterization of one of these three antigens, Spy0269, a highly conserved, surface-exposed, and immunogenic protein of unknown function. Deletion of thespy0269gene in a GAS M1 isolate resulted in very long bacterial chains, which is indicative of an impaired capacity of the knockout mutant to properly divide. Confocal microscopy and immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that the protein was mainly localized at the cell septum and could interactin vitrowith the cell division protein FtsZ, leading us to hypothesize that Spy0269 is a member of the GAS divisome machinery. Predicted structural domains and sequence homologies with known streptococcal adhesins suggested that this antigen could also play a role in mediating GAS interaction with host cells. This hypothesis was confirmed by showing that recombinant Spy0269 could bind to mammalian epithelial cellsin vitroand thatLactococcus lactisexpressing Spy0269 on its cell surface could adhere to mammalian cellsin vitroand to mice nasal mucosain vivo. On the basis of these data, we believe that Spy0269 is involved both in bacterial cell division and in adhesion to host cells and we propose to rename this multifunctional moonlighting protein as SpyAD (StreptococcuspyogenesAdhesion andDivision protein).


2000 ◽  
Vol 68 (12) ◽  
pp. 6871-6878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhanu Sinha ◽  
Patrice Francois ◽  
Yok-Ai Que ◽  
Muzaffar Hussain ◽  
Christine Heilmann ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus invasion of mammalian cells, including epithelial, endothelial, and fibroblastic cells, critically depends on fibronectin bridging between S. aureusfibronectin-binding proteins (FnBPs) and the host fibronectin receptor integrin α5β1 (B. Sinha et al., Cell. Microbiol. 1:101–117, 1999). However, it is unknown whether this mechanism is sufficient for S. aureus invasion. To address this question, various S. aureus adhesins (FnBPA, FnBPB, and clumping factor [ClfA]) were expressed in Staphylococcus carnosus and Lactococcus lactis subsp.cremoris. Both noninvasive gram-positive microorganisms are genetically distinct from S. aureus, lack any knownS. aureus surface protein, and do not bind fibronectin. Transformants of S. carnosus and L. lactisharboring plasmids coding for various S. aureus surface proteins (FnBPA, FnBPB, and ClfA) functionally expressed adhesins (as determined by bacterial clumping in plasma, specific latex agglutination, Western ligand blotting, and binding to immobilized and soluble fibronectin). FnBPA or FnBPB but not of ClfA conferred invasiveness to S. carnosus and L. lactis. Invasion of 293 cells by transformants was comparable to that of strongly invasive S. aureus strain Cowan 1. Binding of soluble and immobilized fibronectin paralleled invasiveness, demonstrating that the amount of accessible surface FnBPs is rate limiting. Thus, S. aureus FnBPs confer invasiveness to noninvasive, apathogenic gram-positive cocci. Furthermore, FnBP-coated polystyrene beads were internalized by 293 cells, demonstrating that FnBPs are sufficient for invasion of host cells without the need for (S. aureus-specific) coreceptors.


Coronaviruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Latifa Khattabi ◽  
Mustapha Mounir Bouhenna ◽  
Feriel Sellam

: The present paper elucidates the conceivable application of two key molecules in SARS-CoV-2 detection of suspected infected persons. These molecules were selected from the basis of ACE-2 and S protein strong interaction that allows virus attachment to its host cells, on the other hand specific immunocompetant effectors generated by human immune system during the infection. Several testing procedures are already used to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly RT-PCR technique. ELISA and LFIA are possible assays for the employment of shACE-2/ hAc-anti-S (the molecules of interest) as the main agents of the test and confer a dual principal functions (capture and detection). The future diagnostic kits involving shACE-2 and hAc-anti-S will have the particularity of high sensitivity and rapid detection in addition to its advantage of relatively easy conception. It could be largely considered as a technical advanced kits in regards to the current SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic immunoassays.


2005 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renato A. Mortara ◽  
Walter K. Andreoli ◽  
Noemi N. Taniwaki ◽  
Adriana B. Fernandes ◽  
Claudio V. da Silva ◽  
...  

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas’ disease, occurs as different strains or isolates that may be grouped in two major phylogenetic lineages: T. cruzi I, associated with the sylvatic cycle and T. cruzi II, linked to the human disease. In the mammalian host the parasite has to invade cells and many studies implicated the flagellated trypomastigotes in this process. Several parasite surface components and some of host cell receptors with which they interact have been identified. Our work focused on how amastigotes, usually found growing in the cytoplasm, can invade mammalian cells with infectivities comparable to that of trypomastigotes. We found differences in cellular responses induced by amastigotes and trypomastigotes regarding cytoskeletal components and actin-rich projections. Extracellularly generated amastigotes of T. cruzi I strains may display greater infectivity than metacyclic trypomastigotes towards cultured cell lines as well as target cells that have modified expression of different classes of cellular components. Cultured host cells harboring the bacterium Coxiella burnetii allowed us to gain new insights into the trafficking properties of the different infective forms of T. cruzi, disclosing unexpected requirements for the parasite to transit between the parasitophorous vacuole to its final destination in the host cell cytoplasm.


1977 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 546-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ira J Mehlman ◽  
Elmer L Eide ◽  
Arvey C Sanders ◽  
Morris Fishbein ◽  
Calvin C G Aulisio

Abstract Surveillance for dysentery-related invasive potential in bacteria using the Sereny keratoconjunctivitis test is restricted by expense, time factor, and necessity for confirmation. Primary screening of isolates in a standardized mammalian cell culture system is recommended. Bacteria are grown 20 hr in veal infusion, washed, and resuspended in 20% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS) supplemented with 0.12% brain heart infusion and 0.1% bile salts. The HeLa culture is grown 20 hr as a monolayer in chamber slides with 90% minimal essential medium (MEM)-10% FBS. The host culture is infected at a ratio of 10 bacteria/ mammalian cell for 3 hr at 35°C. The infection medium is replaced with MEM-FBS supplemented with 300 μg lysozyme and 5 μg gentamycin/ml. The infected monolayer is incubated 5 hr at 35°C to permit intracellular multiplication. Specimens arc washed, fixed with methanol, and stained successively with May-Grunwald and Giemsa dyes. Bacteria occur within the cytoplasm if invasion has occurred. The criterion for a positive test is that 1% of the host cells possesses at least 5 bacteria in 2 of 3 trials. Invasiveness is correlated with and possibly pre-conditioned by cytotoxic principle(s). Infectivity rates vary from 0 to 30%. The cytopathic effect is noted in 5–50% of HeLa cells. Positive results must be confirmed by the Sereny test.


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