Brucella Control of Dendritic Cell Maturation Is Dependent on the TIR-Containing Protein Btp1

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.0040021
• Publication Date: 2008-02-05T15:31:26Z
• Authors: Suzana P Salcedo; María Ines Marche...; Hugues Lelouard; Emilie Fugier; Gilles Jolly; Stephanie Balor; Alexandre Muller; Nicolas Lapaque; Olivier Demaria; Lena Alexopoulou; Diego J Comerci; Rodolfo A Ugalde; Philippe Pierre; Jean-Pierre Gorvel
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; [SDV.IMM] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Immunology; QH301-705.5; Cell Survival; MESH: Mice, Inbred BALB C; Brucella abortus; Down-Regulation; MESH: Down-Regulation; Brucellosis; Mice; Peyer's Patches; 03 medical and health sciences; MESH: Mice, Inbred C57BL; Ileum; MESH: Brucellosis; Animals; MESH: Animals; Biology (General); MESH: Brucella abortus; MESH: Mice; Cells, Cultured; MESH: Cytokines; Mice, Inbred BALB C; MESH: Dendritic Cells; MESH: Host-Pathogen Interactions; MESH: Toll-Like Receptor 2; Dendritic Cells; RC581-607; Toll-Like Receptor 2; 3. Good health; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Disease Models, Animal; MESH: Cell Survival; MESH: Ileum; Host-Pathogen Interactions; MESH: Peyer's Patches; [SDV.IMM]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Immunology; Cytokines; MESH: Disease Models, Animal; Immunologic diseases. Allergy; MESH: Cells, Cultured; Research Article

Brucella is an intracellular pathogen able to persist for long periods of time within the host and establish a chronic disease. We show that soon after Brucella inoculation in intestinal loops, dendritic cells from ileal Peyer's patches become infected and constitute a cell target for this pathogen. In vitro, we found that Brucella replicates within dendritic cells and hinders their functional activation. In addition, we identified a new Brucella protein Btp1, which down-modulates maturation of infected dendritic cells by interfering with the TLR2 signaling pathway. These results show that intracellular Brucella is able to control dendritic cell function, which may have important consequences in the development of chronic brucellosis.