Project description:Bacterial genotoxins, produced by several Gram-negative bacteria, induce DNA damage in the target cells. While the responses induced in the host cells have been extensively studied in vitro, the role of the genotoxins as effectors during the course of acute and chronic infections remains poorly characterized.To address this issue, we assessed the effects of the Salmonella enterica genotoxin, known as typhoid toxin, in in vivo models of murine chronic infections. Immunocompetent mice were chronically infected with isogenic S. enterica, serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) strains, encoding either a functional (MC71-TT) or an inactive (MC71-DcdtB) typhoid toxin. Keywords: salmonella typhimurium, bacterial genotoxins, typhoid toxin, chronic infection, mice model
Project description:Chronic apical periodontitis, typified by inflammatory granulation tissue formation and alveolar bone destruction, is the immune response around the apical root caused by long-term infection and pathogenic stimulation in the root canal. Through the recruitment and infiltration of immune cells and inflammatory mediators, wound healing begins accompanied by the starting of infection. Hence, a comprehensive understanding of biological processes and disease development from the cellular microenvironment in inflammatory periapical areas has important implications.
Project description:Bacterial genotoxins, produced by several Gram-negative bacteria, induce DNA damage in the target cells. While the responses induced in the host cells have been extensively studied in vitro, the role of the genotoxins as effectors during the course of acute and chronic infections remains poorly characterized.To address this issue, we assessed the effects of the Salmonella enterica genotoxin, known as typhoid toxin, in in vivo models of murine chronic infections. Immunocompetent mice were chronically infected with isogenic S. enterica, serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) strains, encoding either a functional (MC71-TT) or an inactive (MC71-DcdtB) typhoid toxin. Keywords: salmonella typhimurium, bacterial genotoxins, typhoid toxin, chronic infection, mice model Transcriptomic analysis was performed on intestine tissues (colon, jejunum and ileum) and liver collected from 129S6/SvEvTac mice, either uninfected or infected with S. typhimurium MC71 strains (strain MC71-TT, expressing a functional typhoid toxin, and strain MC71-dcdtB, expressing an inactive typhoid toxin) for 60 days
Project description:Understanding the response of memory CD8 T cells to persistent antigen re-stimulation and the role of CD4 T cell help is critical to the design of successful vaccines for chronic diseases. However, studies comparing the protective abilities and qualities of memory and naïve cells have been mostly performed in acute infections, and little is known about their roles during chronic infections. Herein, we show that memory cells dominate over naïve cells and are protective when present in large enough numbers to quickly reduce infection. In contrast, when infection is not rapidly reduced, memory cells are quickly lost, unlike naïve cells. This loss of memory cells is due to (i) an early block in cell proliferation, (ii) selective regulation by the inhibitory receptor 2B4, and (iii) increased reliance on CD4 T cell help. These findings have important implications towards the design of T cell vaccines against chronic infections and tumors. 16 samples are analyzed: 3 replicates of secondary effector CD8 P14 T cells at day 8 post-acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection; 4 replicates of secondary effector CD8 P14 T cells at day 8 post-chronic LCMV infection; 4 replicates of primary effector CD8 P14 T cells at day 8 post-acute LCMV infection; and 5 replicates of primary effector CD8 P14 T cells at day 8 post-chronic LCMV infection.
Project description:Development of cereal crops with high nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) is a priority for worldwide agriculture. In addition to conventional plant breeding and genetic engineering, the use of the plant microbiome offers another approach to improve crop NUE. To gain insight into the bacterial communities associated with sorghum lines that differ in NUE, a field experiment was designed comparing 24 diverse sorghum lines under sufficient and deficient nitrogen (N). Amplicon sequencing and untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to characterize the bacterial communities and the root metabolome associated with sorghum genotypes varying in sensitivity to low N. We demonstrated that N stress and sorghum type (energy, sweet, and grain sorghum) significantly impacted the root-associated bacterial communities and root metabolite composition of sorghum. We found a positive correlation between sorghum NUE and bacterial richness and diversity in the rhizosphere. The greater alpha diversity in high NUE lines was associated with the decreased abundance of a dominant bacterial taxa, Pseudomonas. Multiple strong correlations were detected between root metabolites and rhizosphere bacterial communities in response to low-N stress. This indicates that the shift in the sorghum microbiome due to low-N is associated with the root metabolites of the host plant. Taken together, our findings suggest that host genetic regulation of root metabolites plays a role in defining the root-associated microbiome of sorghum genotypes differing in NUE and tolerance to low-N stress.