Abstract
BackgroundEntamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that infects humans and causes amebiasis affecting developing countries. Phagocytosis of epithelial cells, erythrocytes, leucocytes, and commensal microbiota bacteria is a major pathogenic mechanism used by this parasite. A Toll/IL-1R/Resistance (TIR) domain-containing protein is required in phagocytosis in the social ameba Dictyostelium discoideum, an ameba closely related to Entamoeba histolytica in phylogeny. In insects and vertebrates, TIR domain-containing proteins regulate phagocytic and cell activation. Therefore, we investigated whether E. histolytica expresses TIR domain-containing molecules that may be involved in the phagocytosis of erythrocytes and bacteria.MethodsUsing in silico analysis we explored in Entamoeba histolytica databases for TIR domain containing sequences. After silencing TIR domain containing sequences in trophozoites by siRNA we evaluated phagocytosis of erythrocytes and bacteria.ResultsWe identified an E. histolytica thioredoxin containing a TIR-like domain. The secondary and tertiary structure of this sequence exhibited structural similarity to TIR domain family. Thioredoxin transcripts silenced in E. histolytica trophozoites decreased erythrocytes and E. coli phagocytosis.ConclusionTIR domain-containing thioredoxin of E. histolytica could be an important element in erythrocytes and bacteria phagocytosis.
Highlights
Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that infects humans and causes amebiasis affecting developing countries
In the present study, we investigated whether E. histolytica expresses TIR domain-containing molecules that participate in the regulation of the phagocytosis of human erythrocytes and E. coli
The downregulation of this thioredoxin by siRNA led to decrease of phagocytosis of erythrocytes and E. coli by E. histolytica trophozoites. These results suggest that the TIR domain-containing thioredoxin is involved in E. histolytica phagocytosis
Summary
Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that infects humans and causes amebiasis affecting developing countries. Phagocytosis of epithelial cells, erythrocytes, leucocytes, and commensal microbiota bacteria is a major pathogenic mechanism used by this parasite. A Toll/IL-1R/Resistance (TIR) domain-containing protein is required in phagocytosis in the social ameba Dictyostelium discoideum, an ameba closely related to Entamoeba histolytica in phylogeny. Phagocytosis of epithelial cells, erythrocytes, leucocytes and bacteria from the commensal microbiota is a major pathogenic. In the social ameba Dictyostelium discoideum, a Toll/IL-1R/resistance (TIR) domain-containing protein (TirA) is required for the phagocytosis of bacteria, which is essential for nutrition and for protection against infection [13]. Phagocytic cells play a central role in the innate immune systems of multicellular organisms, and TIR domain-containing proteins regulate the activation of these cells in insects and vertebrates. The TIR domain encompasses three highly conserved regions; i.e., Box, Box, and Box3 [14]
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