title: Trypanosoma cruzi induces cellular proliferation in the trophoblastic cell line BeWo.
abstract: Congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) is partially responsible for the progressive globalization of Chagas disease. During congenital transmission the parasite must cross the placental barrier where the trophoblast, a continuous renewing epithelium, is the first tissue in contact with the parasite. The trophoblast turnover implies cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptotic cell death. The epithelial turnover is considered part of innate immunity. We previously demonstrated that T. cruzi induces cellular differentiation and apoptosis in this tissue. Here we demonstrate that T. cruzi induces cellular proliferation in a trophoblastic cell line. We analyzed the cellular proliferation in BeWo cells by determining DNA synthesis by BrdU incorporation assays, mitotic index, cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry, as well as quantification of nucleolus organizer regions by histochemistry and expression of the proliferation markers PCNA and Ki67 by Western blotting and/or immunofluorescence. Additionally, we determined the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway activation by the parasite by Western blotting.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile; Departamento de Estomatología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Chile.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Droguett
authors.affiliation: Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Ileana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carrillo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Fresia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Negrete
authors.affiliation: Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liempi
authors.affiliation: Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Norbel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Galanti
authors.affiliation: Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan Diego
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Maya
authors.affiliation: Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile. Electronic address: ukemmerling@med.uchile.cl.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kemmerling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016195:G2 Phase; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D016196:S Phase; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D004247:DNA
keywords: Cellular proliferation; Trophoblast; Trypanosoma cruzi