title: Mouse macrophage galactose-type lectin (mMGL) is critical for host resistance against Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
abstract: The C-type lectin receptor mMGL is expressed exclusively by myeloid antigen presenting cells (APC) such as dendritic cells (DC) and macrophages (Mφ), and it mediates binding to glycoproteins carrying terminal galactose and α- or β-N-acetylgalactosamine (Gal/GalNAc) residues. Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) expresses large amounts of mucin (TcMUC)-like glycoproteins. Here, we show by lectin-blot that galactose moieties are also expressed on the surface of T. cruzi. Male mMGL knockout (-/-) and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice were infected intraperitoneally with 10(4) T. cruzi trypomastigotes (Queretaro strain). Following T. cruzi infection, mMGL-/- mice developed higher parasitemia and higher mortality rates compared with WT mice. Although hearts from T. cruzi-infected WT mice presented few amastigote nests, mMGL-/- mice displayed higher numbers of amastigote nests. Compared with WT, Mφ from mMGL-/- mice had low production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in response to soluble T. cruzi antigens (TcAg). Interestingly, upon in vitro T. cruzi infection, mMGL-/- Mφ expressed lower levels of MHC-II and TLR-4 and harbored higher numbers of parasites, even when mMGL-/- Mφ were previously primed with IFN-γ or LPS/IFN-γ. These data suggest that mMGL plays an important role during T. cruzi infection, is required for optimal Mφ activation, and may synergize with TLR-4-induced pathways to produce TNF-α, IL-1β and NO during the early phase of infection.
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Juan de Dios
authors.initials: Jde D
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Rosado
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Luis I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Terrazas
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Imelda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Juárez
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Immunology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología "Ignacio Chávez," México, D.F. 14080 México.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gomez-Garcia
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calleja
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Griselda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chávez
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Tonathiu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: 3. Department of Immunology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. México, D.F. 04510 México.
authors.forename: Bertha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.affiliation: 1. Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), C. P. 54090, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Sosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism*; D007109:Immunity / Q000502:physiology; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000502:physiology*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D005690:Galactose
keywords: C-Type lectin receptor; Macrophages receptors.; Proinflammatory cytokines; Trypanosoma cruzi; mMGL