The Leishmania major BBSome subunit BBS1 is essential for parasite virulence in the mammalian host

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Leishmania major BBSome subunit BBS1 is essential for parasite virulence in the mammalian host

AU - Price, Helen P

AU - Paape, Daniel

AU - Hodgkinson, Michael R

AU - Farrant, Katie

AU - Doehl, Johannes

AU - Stark, Meg

AU - Smith, Deborah F

N1 - This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PY - 2013/11

Y1 - 2013/11

N2 - Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a human genetic disorder with a spectrum of symptoms caused by primary cilium dysfunction. The disease is caused by mutations in one of at least 17 identified genes, of which 7 encode subunits of the BBSome, a protein complex required for specific trafficking events to and from the primary cilium. The molecular mechanisms associated with BBSome function remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we generated null and complemented mutants of the BBSome subunit BBS1 in the protozoan parasite, Leishmania. In the absence of BBS1, extracellular parasites have no apparent defects in growth, flagellum assembly, motility or differentiation in vitro but there is accumulation of vacuole-like structures close to the flagellar pocket. Infectivity of these parasites for macrophages in vitro is reduced compared to wild type controls but the null parasites retain the ability to differentiate to the intracellular amastigote stage. However, infectivity of BBS1 null parasites is severely compromised in a BALB/c mouse footpad model. We hypothesise that the absence of BBS1 in Leishmania leads to defects in specific trafficking events that affect parasite persistence in the host. This is the first report of an association between the BBSome complex and pathogen infectivity.

AB - Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a human genetic disorder with a spectrum of symptoms caused by primary cilium dysfunction. The disease is caused by mutations in one of at least 17 identified genes, of which 7 encode subunits of the BBSome, a protein complex required for specific trafficking events to and from the primary cilium. The molecular mechanisms associated with BBSome function remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we generated null and complemented mutants of the BBSome subunit BBS1 in the protozoan parasite, Leishmania. In the absence of BBS1, extracellular parasites have no apparent defects in growth, flagellum assembly, motility or differentiation in vitro but there is accumulation of vacuole-like structures close to the flagellar pocket. Infectivity of these parasites for macrophages in vitro is reduced compared to wild type controls but the null parasites retain the ability to differentiate to the intracellular amastigote stage. However, infectivity of BBS1 null parasites is severely compromised in a BALB/c mouse footpad model. We hypothesise that the absence of BBS1 in Leishmania leads to defects in specific trafficking events that affect parasite persistence in the host. This is the first report of an association between the BBSome complex and pathogen infectivity.

U2 - 10.1111/mmi.12383

DO - 10.1111/mmi.12383

M3 - Article

C2 - 23998526

SN - 0950-382X

VL - n/a

SP - 1

EP - 15

JO - Molecular Microbiology

JF - Molecular Microbiology

IS - n/a

ER -