Project description:In this project we examined the in-vitro effect of female sex hormones (estradiol and progesterone at average physiological concentrations) during a infection mediated by Chlamydia trachomatis serovar D, on the gene expression of human endometrial cell line ECC-1 The effects of the female sex hormones progesterone and oestradiol while infected by Chlamydia trachomatis were examined at two timepoints.
Project description:Introduction Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is a Gram-negative bacterium and a common human pathogen. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 130 million people are infected with C. trachomatis globally each year and with increasing incidence. C. trachomatis causes long-lasting and recurrent infections that over time induce severe tissue damage in the female genital tract that can lead to ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Thus, the human immune system fails to control and eradicate C. trachomatis during primary infection and fails to develop protective immunity against secondary infections. In vivo infection models, using complement knock out mice, suggest that the complement system is critically involved in both anti-chlamydial immunity and infection-induced pathology. To increase our understanding of complement-mediated immunity against C. trachomatis we analyzed global complement deposition on serum-incubated C. trachomatis by mass spectrometry. Methods Purified C. trachomatis was incubated in seronegative normal human serum (NHS) or heat-inactivated normal human serum (HI-NHS) for 30 min, thoroughly washed, and processed for mass spectrometry. All samples were lysed, reduced and alkylated and digested with trypsin. Some samples were chemically modified to acetylate free amino groups (N-terminal and lysine amino groups) before trypsin digestion. Peptides were analyzed on a UltimateTM 3500 RSLCnano coupled to a Q Exactive HF-X mass spectrometer. Raw data files were searched against the Uniprot human reference proteome using MaxQuant. Results We demonstrate that C. trachomatis elicits potent complement activation demonstrated by deposition of both early and late complement factors together with several complement regulators. We further demonstrate proteolytically processing of complement C3b to “inactive” C3 cleavage fragments. Conclusion We demonstrate the deposition of several novel complement-associated proteins and -cleavage fragments on the surface of C. trachomatis.
Project description:Gene expression profiles of RNA extracted at 24 or 48h from End1 cells infected with Chlamydia trachomatis or uninfected controls. This experiment forms part of the analysis of phosphoproteome changes after C.trachomatis infection.
Project description:The aim of this study was to perform a microarray analysis of the response pattern of EEC from both large and small bowel to infection in vitro, using Chlamydia trachomatis infection as a model. Two human EEC lines: LCC-18, derived from a neuroendocrine colonic tumour, and CNDT-2, derived from a small intestinal carcinoid, were infected with C. trachomatis serovar LGV II strain 434 (ATCC VR-902B). Penicillin G was used to induce persistent infection. Gene expression levels in infected and persistently infected EEC cells were investigated by microarray analysis
Project description:The aim of this study was to perform a microarray analysis of the response pattern of EEC from both large and small bowel to infection in vitro, using Chlamydia trachomatis infection as a model.
