mRNA expression profiling reveals a role of Helicobacter pylori vacuolating toxin in escaping host defense.
OBJECTIVE
To study the immune response of host to Helicobacter pylori VacA.


METHODS
The monocyte/macrophage-like U937 cells were infected with Helicobacter pylori vacA-positive strain NCTC 11638 or isogenic vacA-negative mutant. Differentially expressed genes were identified at 2, 6, 10, and 24 h post-infection by cDNA microarray. Differential expressions of some genes were confirmed by Northern blot.


RESULTS
More than 100 genes altered their mRNA expression at different time points respectively, many of which were identified to be related to immune evasion.


CONCLUSIONS
VacA is a crucial element for H pylori to escape from host immune defense by means of differentially regulating the expression of some related genes. These genes, previously known or unknown to be involved in the mechanism of immune evasion, deserve further investigation to unearth much more information complicated in the immune response.
Yuan
Jian-Ping
JP
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Shanghai Second Medical University, 280 Chongqingnan Road, Shanghai 200025, China.
Li
Tao
T
Li
Zhen-Hong
ZH
Yang
Gui-Zhen
GZ
Hu
Bao-Yu
BY
Shi
Xiao-Dong
XD
Shi
Tie-Liu
TL
Tong
Shan-Qing
SQ
Guo
Xiao-Kui
XK
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori