Immunobiology of Leishmania spp.: study of the role of CD200 and biogenesis of parasitophorous vacuole in fagocitic cells infected by Leishmania

• Grant number: 12/24105-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Mauro Javier Cortez Véliz
• Grantee: Mauro Javier Cortez Véliz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There are numerous gaps in our knowledge about the strategies used by Leishmania species to survive in the within macrophages, among them, parasite survival in the harsh environment of the phagolysosome, and modulate the immune response mediated by this cell. The main objective of the proposed study is to analyze the molecules induced in the host cell in response to parasite infection that are associated with inhibition of macrophages. Particularly, our main interest is to study the factors that modulate the expression of CD200, a molecule induced after infection with amastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis that modulate macrophage response by an iNOS dependent pathway. Thus, the present project aims to study signaling pathways stimulated by the parasite and the potential role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the expression of CD200 on macrophage and phagocytic cells. Furthermore, we intend to investigate the role of CD200 in the biogenesis of parasitophorous vacuole, since the absence of this molecule impairs parasite growth generating noticeably smaller vacuoles. Among the various aspects associated with this process of Leishmania infection in macrophages, our proposal also aims to address the role of tubulin cytoskeleton on the biogenesis of parasitophorous vacuole in infections with two different species of Leishmania, responsible for the visceral and cutaneous form of the disease, respectively. Thus, the aim of this project is to elucidate important aspects of the cell biology of infection by Leishmania species in the search for new therapeutic targets for the treatment of the disease. (AU)

Scientific publications

(12)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CABRAL, FERNANDA V.; SABINO, CAETANO P.; DIMMER, JESICA A.; SAUTER, ISMAEL P.; CORTEZ, MAURO J.; RIBEIRO, MARTHA S.. Preclinical Investigation of Methylene Blue-mediated Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy on Leishmania Parasites Using Real-Time Bioluminescence. Photochemistry and Photobiology, v. 96, n. 3, SI, DEC 2019. (12/24105-3)

MARTINS, LARISSA ALMEIDA; PALMISANO, GIUSEPPE; CORTEZ, MAURO; KAWAHARA, REBECA; DE FREITAS BALANCO, JOSE MARIO; FUJITA, ANDRE; ALONSO, BEATRIZ IGLESIAS; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES; BRAZ, GLORIA REGINA CARDOSO; TIRLONI, LUCAS; et al. The intracellular bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii exerts an inhibitory effect on the apoptosis of tick cells. PARASITES & VECTORS, v. 13, n. 1, DEC 1 2020. (12/24105-3, 18/15549-1, 18/18257-1, 14/11513-1, 14/06863-3, 14/05855-7, 13/26450-2)

FERREIRA, THALITA C. S.; SAUTER, ISMAEL P.; BORDA-SAMPER, LINA; BENTIVOGLIO, ENYD; DAMATA, JARINA P.; TANIWAKI, NOEMI N.; ORREGO, PATRICIO R.; ARAYA, JORGE E.; LINCOPAN, NILTON; CORTEZ, MAURO. Effect of DODAB Nano-Sized Cationic Bilayer Fragments against Leishmania amazonensis. Molecules, v. 25, n. 23, DEC 2020. (13/14087-0, 13/15254-8, 16/08593-9, 12/24105-3)

LUCZYWO, AYELEN; SAUTER, ISMAEL PRETTO; DA SILVA FERREIRA, THALITA CAMELO; CORTEZ, MAURO; ROMANELLI, GUSTAVO P.; SATHICQ, GABRIEL; ASIS, SILVIA E.. Microwave-assisted synthesis of 2-styrylquinoline-4-carboxylic acid derivatives to improve the toxic effect against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry, v. 58, n. 3, JAN 2021. (12/24105-3)

HOROIWA, THAIS ARAGAO; CORTEZ, MAURO; SAUTER, ISMAEL PRETTO; MIGOTTO, AMANDA; BANDEIRA, CARLA LETICIA; CERIZE, NATALIA N. P.; DE OLIVEIRA, ADRIANO M.. Sugar -based colloidal nanocarriers for topical meglumine antimoniate application to cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment: Ex vivo cutaneous retention and in vivo evaluation. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, v. 147, APR 30 2020. (12/24105-3)

CABRAL, FERNANDA V.; SABINO, CAETANO P.; DIMMER, JESICA A.; SAUTER, ISMAEL P.; CORTEZ, MAURO J.; RIBEIRO, MARTHA S.. Preclinical Investigation of Methylene Blue-mediated Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy on Leishmania Parasites Using Real-Time Bioluminescence. Photochemistry and Photobiology, v. 96, n. 3, p. 7-pg., 2019-12-17. (12/24105-3)

ROXANA GUTIERREZ-ARMIJOS, L.; SUSSMANN, RODRIGO A. C.; SILBER, ARIEL M.; CORTEZ, MAURO; HERNANDEZ, AGUSTIN. Abnormal sterol-induced cell wall glucan deficiency in yeast is due to impaired glucan synthase transport to the plasma membrane. Biochemical Journal, v. 477, n. 24, p. 4729-4744, DEC 2020. (14/10443-0, 16/06034-2, 12/24105-3)

SAUTER, ISMAEL P.; MADRID, KATERINE G.; DE ASSIS, JOSIANE B.; SA-NUNES, ANDERSON; TORRECILHAS, ANA C.; STAQUICINI, I, DANIELA; PASQUALINI, RENATA; ARAP, WADIH; CORTEZ, MAURO. TLR9/MyD88/TRIF signaling activates host immune inhibitory CD200 in Leishmania infection. JCI INSIGHT, v. 4, n. 10, MAY 16 2019. (12/24105-3)

THOMAZ, LUCIANA; DE ALMEIDA, LUIZ GUSTAVO; SILVA, FLAVIA R. O.; CORTEZ, MAURO; TABORDA, CARLOS P.; SPIRA, BENY. In vivo Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Galleria mellonella. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, v. 11, NOV 9 2020. (12/24105-3, 15/06547-7, 16/08730-6, 11/07775-2, 14/09143-1)

ORREGO, PATRICIO R.; SERRANO-RODRIGUEZ, MAYELA; CORTEZ, MAURO; ARAYA, JORGE E.. In Silico Characterization of Calcineurin from Pathogenic Obligate Intracellular Trypanosomatids: Potential New Biological Roles. BIOMOLECULES, v. 11, n. 9, SEP 2021. (20/13562-0, 12/24105-3)

CARVALHO, DANILO O.; COSTA-DA-SILVA, ANDRE L.; PETERSEN, VIVIAN; DE SOUZA, MICAEL SANTANA; IOSHINO, RAFAELLA S.; MARQUES, ISABEL C. S.; FRANZ, ALEXANDER W. E.; OLSON, KEN E.; JAMES, ANTHONY A.; CAPURRO, MARGARETH L.. Transgene-induced cell death following dengue-2 virus infection in Aedes aegypti. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 13, n. 1, p. 11-pg., 2023-04-12. (12/24105-3, 20/13562-0, 08/10254-1)

STAQUICINI, I, FERNANDA; HAJITOU, AMIN; DRIESSEN, WOUTER H. P.; PRONETH, BETTINA; CARDO-VILA, MARINA; STAQUICINI, I, DANIELA; MARKOSIAN, CHRISTOPHER; HOH, MARIA; CORTEZ, MAURO; HOODA-NEHRA, ANUPAMA; et al. Targeting a cell surface vitamin D receptor on tumor-associated macrophages in triple-negative breast cancer. eLIFE, v. 10, JUN 1 2021. (12/24105-3, 20/13562-0)