title: Trichomonas vaginalis perturbs the junctional complex in epithelial cells.
abstract: Trichomonas vaginalis, a protist parasite of the urogenital tract in humans, is the causative agent of trichomonosis, which in recent years have been associated with the cervical cancer development. In the present study we analyzed the modifications at the junctional complex level of Caco-2 cells after interaction with two isolates of T. vaginalis and the influence of the iron concentration present in the parasite's culture medium on the interaction effects. Our results show that T. vaginalis adheres to the epithelial cell causing alterations in the junctional complex, such as: (a) a decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance; (b) alteration in the pattern of junctional complex proteins distribution as observed for E-cadherin, occludin and ZO-1; and (c) enlargement of the spaces between epithelial cells. These effects were dependent on (a) the degree of the parasite virulence isolate, (b) the iron concentration in the culture medium, and (c) the expression of adhesin proteins on the parasite surface.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Morfológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Furtado Madeiro
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: Wanderley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benchimol
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Alderete
authors.forename: Jose Andres
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Morgado-Diaz
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D062793:Occludin; D010271:Parasites; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013347:Subcellular Fractions; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000378:metabolism*; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D015820:Cadherins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C568985:OCLN protein, human; D062793:Occludin; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C569042:TJP1 protein, human; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D007501:Iron