Evaluation of the autophagic process of macrophages infected with Leishmania amazonensis

Author(s)

Larissa Tavares Cyrino

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2011-05-19

Examining board members

Selma Giorgio; Maria Heloisa de Souza Lima Blotta; Liana Maria Cardoso Verinaud

• Advisor: Selma Giorgio

Abstract

Autophagy is the primary mechanism of degradation of cellular proteins and organelles. This biological process has been considered important in fighting microorganisms during the infectious processes, eliminating them and activating innate and adaptive immune responses. Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which parasitize macrophages and dendritic cells, and it is responsible for the appearance of simple skin lesions, mucosal and visceral leishmaniasis, The knowledge of host factors and the Leishmania species that influence the pathogenesis of many types of leishmaniasis is limited and little is known about the role of autophagy in this disease. The general aim of this study was to evaluate the autophagic process during infection of macrophages with L. amazonensis. The monitoring of autophagy by western blotting (to detect LC3, a protein marker of autophagy), by Transmission Electron Microscopy, and by lysosomal activity detection (by using Lysotracker® Red) indicated that the infection caused by L. amazonensis induces autophagy in both tumor macrophage lineage and in primary macrophages from mice of different strains. Our data also indicate that the increase in the rate of infection is related to the increase of autophagy in these macrophages and that induction of autophagy by starvation increases the percentage of bone marrow-derived macrophages from BALB / c mice with L. amazonensis after three days of culture. On the other hand, the induction of autophagy does not change the infection rate of bone marrow -derived macrophages from C57BL / 6 mice, indicating that the mice strain interfere in the outcome of infection of macrophages. Together, our results indicate that autophagy has an important role in infection caused by L. amazonensis and creates new perspectives to the study of this biological processes during infection caused by other species of Leishmania (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/01816-9 - Avaliation of the autophagic process of macrophages infected with Leishmania amazonensis in different microenvironments.
• Grantee: Larissa Tavares Cyrino
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master