title: The intracellular pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi responsible for scrub typhus induces lipid droplet formation in mouse fibroblasts.
abstract: Mammalian cells store excess fatty acids in the form of triglycerides within lipid droplets. The intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamush is the causative agent of severe human rickettiosis. We found that O. tsutsugamushi infection induces the formation of lipid droplets in mouse L-929 fibroblasts. In infected cells, a parallel increase in the number of lipid droplets and pathogens was observed. Interestingly, the pathogen-infection induced the accumulation of triglycerides even without external supply of fatty acids. These results suggest that O. tsutsugamushi alters lipid metabolism of host cells to induce lipid droplets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. Electronic address: ogawam@niid.go.jp.
authors.forename: Motohiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. Electronic address: fuka@niid.go.jp.
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukasawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanada
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saijo
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D066292:Lipid Droplets / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: Infection; Lipid droplets; Lipid metabolism; Orientia tsutsugamushi; Triglycerides