Heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) of Mycobacterium leprae is expressed during infection and enhances bacterial adherence to epithelial cells.
A heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) expressed on the surface of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an antigenic protein that has been implicated in bacterial adherence to epithelial cells and systemic dissemination. In this study, the potential role of the Mycobacterium leprae HBHA (ML-HBHA) homologue in leprosy was investigated. Initially, the in vivo expression of HBHA and its association with the M. leprae cell envelope was confirmed by immunoblotting and proteomic analysis. Mycobacterium leprae recombinant HBHA (rML-HBHA) bound to a heparin-Sepharose column, and its capacity to act as an adhesin was demonstrated in experiments showing that the exogenous addition of the protein to latex beads or to M. leprae cells promotes a dramatic increase in association with epithelial cells. Finally, serum anti-HBHA immunoglobulin G levels were investigated in individuals infected with M. leprae. Altogether, our data indicate that HBHA is recognized during the course of bacterial infection in humans and may play a role in leprosy pathogenesis.
de Lima
Cristiana Soares
CS
Laboratory of Cellular Microbiology, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janerio, Brazil.
Marques
Maria A M
MA
Debrie
Anne-Sophie
AS
Almeida
Elza C C
EC
Silva
Carlos A M
CA
Brennan
Patrick J
PJ
Sarno
Euzenir N
EN
Menozzi
Franco D
FD
Pessolani
Maria C V
MC
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D037102:Lectins; D020543:Proteome; C104578:heparin-binding hemagglutinin