Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes in 3D Collagen I culture: an in vitro physiological environment for the study of extracellular matrix and host cell interactions.
Leishmania amazonensis is the causative agent of American cutaneous leishmaniasis, an important neglected tropical disease. Once Leishmania amazonensis is inoculated into the human host, promastigotes are exposed to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the dermis. However, little is known about the interaction between the ECM and Leishmania promastigotes. In this study we established L. amazonensis promastigote culture in a three-dimensional (3D) environment mainly composed of Collagen I (COL I). This 3D culture recreates in vitro some aspects of the human host infection site, enabling the study of the interaction mechanisms of L. amazonensis with the host ECM. Promastigotes exhibited "freeze and run" migration in the 3D COL I matrix, which is completely different from the conventional in vitro swimming mode of migration. Moreover, L. amazonensis promastigotes were able to invade, migrate inside, and remodel the 3D COL I matrix. Promastigote trans-matrix invasion and the freeze and run migration mode were also observed when macrophages were present in the matrix. At least two classes of proteases, metallo- and cysteine proteases, are involved in the 3D COL I matrix degradation caused by Leishmania. Treatment with a mixture of protease inhibitors significantly reduced promastigote invasion and migration through this matrix. Together our results demonstrate that L. amazonensis promastigotes release proteases and actively remodel their 3D environment, facilitating their migration. This raises the possibility that promastigotes actively interact with their 3D environment during the search for their cellular "home"-macrophages. Supporting this hypothesis, promastigotes migrated faster than macrophages in a novel 3D co-culture model.
Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; Institut Pasteur , Paris , France.
Debora B
DB
Petropolis
Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; Núcleo Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa UFRJ-Xerém (NUMPEX-BIO), Polo Avançado de Xerém, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem , Brazil ; Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia , Inmetro , Brazil.
Juliany C F
JC
Rodrigues
LPO-COPEA, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil.
Nathan B
NB
Viana
LPO-COPEA, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Brazil.
Bruno
B
Pontes
Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil.
Camila F A
CF
Pereira
Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense , Campos , Brazil.
Fernando C
FC
Silva-Filho
3D migration; Co-culture; Collagen matrix; Extracellular matrix; Leishmania; Leishmania–macrophage interaction; Matrix remodelling; Parasite; Protease