Chlamydia trachomatis utilizes the host cell microtubule network during early events of infection.
The host cell cytoskeleton is known to play a vital role in the life cycles of several pathogenic intracellular microorganisms by providing the basis for a successful invasion and by promoting movement of the pathogen once inside the host cell cytoplasm. McCoy cells infected with Chlamydia trachomatis serovars E or L2 revealed, by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, collocation of microtubules and Chlamydia-containing vesicles during the process of migration from the host cell surface to a perinuclear location. The vast majority of microtubule-associated Chlamydia vesicles also collocated with tyrosine-phosphorylated McCoy cell proteins. After migration, the Chlamydia-containing vesicles were positioned exactly at the centre of the microtubule network, indicating a microtubule-dependent mode of chlamydial redistribution. Inhibition of host cell dynein, a microtubule-dependent motor protein known to be involved in directed vesicle transport along microtubules, was observed to have a pronounced effect on C. trachomatis infectivity. Furthermore, dynein was found to collocate with perinuclear aggregates of C. trachomatis E and L2 but not C. pneumoniae VR-1310, indicating a marked difference in the cytoskeletal requirements for C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae during early infection events. In support of this view, C. pneumoniae VR-1310 was shown to induce much less tyrosine phosphorylation of HeLa cell proteins during uptake than that seen for C. trachomatis.
Clausen
J D
JD
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Christiansen
G
G
Holst
H U
HU
Birkelund
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004398:Dyneins / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D004398:Dyneins