Archives of Biological Sciences (Jan 2015)

Signaling via ITGB1/FAK and microfilament rearrangement mediates the internalization of Leptospira interrogans in mouse J774A.1 macrophages

  • Zhao Xin,
  • Sun Ai-Hua,
  • Ge Yu-Mei,
  • Wang Huan,
  • Yan Jie

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2298/abs141003005z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 67, no. 1
pp. 57 – 67

Abstract

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Leptospirosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira species is a worldwide zoonotic 2 infectious disease, but the mechanisms of leptospiral internalization remain poorly understood. Here, we report that mouse J774A.1 macrophages expressed integrin-subfamily proteins (ITGB1, ITGB2 and ITGB3). Antibody blockage and siRNA-based knockdown of ITGB1 decreased the internalization of leptospires into mouse J774A.1 macrophage cells. The internalization required focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activation in J774A.1 cells rather than phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), and microfilament rather than microtubule aggregation during infection. The data indicated that the ITGB1/FAK/microfilament signaling pathway is responsible for leptospiral internalization in mouse macrophages.

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