title: Anti-Retroviral Lectins Have Modest Effects on Adherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to Epithelial Cells In Vitro and on Recovery of Tritrichomonas foetus in a Mouse Vaginal Model.
abstract: Trichomonas vaginalis causes vaginitis and increases the risk of HIV transmission by heterosexual sex, while Tritrichomonas foetus causes premature abortion in cattle. Our goals were to determine the effects, if any, of anti-retroviral lectins, which are designed to prevent heterosexual transmission of HIV, on adherence of Trichomonas to ectocervical cells and on Tritrichomonas infections in a mouse model. We show that Trichomonas Asn-linked glycans (N-glycans), like those of HIV, bind the mannose-binding lectin (MBL) that is part of the innate immune system. N-glycans of Trichomonas and Tritrichomonas bind anti-retroviral lectins (cyanovirin-N and griffithsin) and the 2G12 monoclonal antibody, each of which binds HIV N-glycans. Binding of cyanovirin-N appears to be independent of susceptibility to metronidazole, the major drug used to treat Trichomonas. Anti-retroviral lectins, MBL, and galectin-1 cause Trichomonas to self-aggregate and precipitate. The anti-retroviral lectins also increase adherence of ricin-resistant mutants, which are less adherent than parent cells, to ectocervical cell monolayers and to organotypic EpiVaginal tissue cells. Topical application of either anti-retroviral lectins or yeast N-glycans decreases by 40 to 70% the recovery of Tritrichomonas from the mouse vagina. These results, which are explained by a few simple models, suggest that the anti-retroviral lectins have a modest potential for preventing or treating human infections with Trichomonas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Aparajita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ratner
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Molecular Targets Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Barry R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: W Evan
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Secor
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Phillips W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Samuelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D000080908:Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000737:chemistry; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D037102:Lectins / Q000737:chemistry*; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000737:chemistry; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D012276:Ricin / Q000737:chemistry; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D014247:Trichomonas Vaginitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis; D016835:Tritrichomonas foetus; D014621:Vagina / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C529157:2G12 monoclonal antibody; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D000080908:Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D037483:Galectin 1; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D037102:Lectins; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin; D011134:Polysaccharides; D008795:Metronidazole; C107733:cyanovirin N; D012276:Ricin