Abstract
BackgroundInfectious Leptospira colonize the kidneys of reservoir (e.g. rats) and accidental hosts such as humans. The renal response to persistent leptospiral colonization, as measured by urinary protein biosignatures, has not been systematically studied. Urinary exosomes--bioactive membrane-bound nanovesicles--contain cell-state specific cargo that additively reflect formation all along the nephron. We hypothesized that Leptospira-infection will alter the content of urine exosomes, and further, that these Leptospira-induced alterations will hold clues to unravel novel pathways related to bacterial-host interactions.Methodology/Principal findingsExosome protein content from 24 hour urine samples of Leptospira-infected rats was compared with that of uninfected rats using SDS-PAGE and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Statistical models were used to identify significantly dysregulated proteins in Leptospira-infected and uninfected rat urine exosomes. In all, 842 proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS proteomics of total rat urine and 204 proteins associated specifically with exosomes. Multivariate analysis showed that 25 proteins significantly discriminated between uninfected control and infected rats. Alanyl (membrane) aminopeptidase, also known as CD13 topped this list with the highest score, a finding we validated by Western immunoblotting. Whole urine analysis showed Tamm-Horsfall protein level reduction in the infected rat urine. Total urine and exosome proteins were significantly different in male vs. female infected rats.ConclusionsWe identified exosome-associated renal tubule-specific responses to Leptospira infection in a rat chronic colonization model. Quantitative differences in infected male and female rat urine exosome proteins vs. uninfected controls suggest that urine exosome analysis identifies important differences in kidney function that may be of clinical and pathological significance.
Highlights
Leptospirosis is among the world’s most important zoonotic infectious diseases [1,2], characterized by variable manifestations ranging from asymptomatic or self-resolving acute febrile illness to severe disease with a combination of fever, acute kidney injury, jaundice, severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome, refractory shock, and aseptic meningitis [3]
We identified exosome-associated renal tubule-specific responses to Leptospira infection in a rat chronic colonization model
Quantitative differences in infected male and female rat urine exosome proteins vs. uninfected controls suggest that urine exosome analysis identifies important differences in kidney function that may be of clinical and pathological significance
Summary
Leptospirosis is among the world’s most important zoonotic infectious diseases [1,2], characterized by variable manifestations ranging from asymptomatic or self-resolving acute febrile illness to severe disease with a combination of fever, acute kidney injury, jaundice, severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome, refractory shock, and aseptic meningitis [3]. Important advances have been made in diverse aspects of leptospirosis including the differential host responses to leptospiral infection [4,5,6,7,8,9]. Despite these advances, mechanistic details by which end organ damage develops in some individuals but not in others remain to be elucidated. We use proteomic analysis of urine exosomes in a rat chronic colonization model as a non-invasive window to kidney function in asymptomatic leptospiral infection. We hypothesized that Leptospira-infection will alter the content of urine exosomes, and further, that these Leptospira-induced alterations will hold clues to unravel novel pathways related to bacterial-host interactions
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