title: Inhibition of autolysosome formation in host autophagy by Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
abstract: Autophagy has emerged as an essential component of the defense system against intracellular pathogens. We demonstrated that Trypanosoma cruzi, an intracellular protozoan parasite, was not eliminated by the host's autophagic machinery despite exposure to the host cell cytoplasm. Puncta of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), an autophagy marker, and LC3-II, a lipidated form of LC3, were significantly increased after infection with T. cruzi, indicating that the parasite activated the early steps of host autophagy and induced autophagosome formation. However, autolysosomes were not observed in the infected cells. In addition, T. cruzi was not enwrapped by autophagosomes, suggesting that the parasite has mechanisms to allow it to evade autophagic capture. The results of this study indicate that host autophagy is incomplete following T. cruzi infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Parasitology, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Onizuka
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Parasitology, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514, Japan.
authors.forename: Chiyuki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Parasitology, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514, Japan.
authors.forename: Ami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uematsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Parasitology, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shinjo
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Preventive Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514, Japan.
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Parasitology, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514, Japan. Electronic address: jshimada@gunma-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakajima-Shimada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins
keywords: Autolysosome; Host autophagy; LC3; Trypanosoma cruzi