Comparative proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in the urine of reservoir hosts of leptospirosis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 6; no. 10; p. e26046
• Main Authors: Nally, Jarlath E, Monahan, Avril M, Miller, Ian S, Bonilla-Santiago, Ruben, Souda, Puneet, Whitelegge, Julian P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 17.10.2011; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adenosine triphosphatase; Aminopeptidase; Animals; Biochemistry; Biology; Biomarkers; Chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Colonization; Endopeptidases; Food science; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Genomes; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Identification; Immune response; Immune system; Immunoglobulin G; Infections; Kidney Diseases; Kidneys; Laboratories; Leptospira; Leptospira - chemistry; Leptospira - metabolism; Leptospira canicola; Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae; Leptospira interrogans; Leptospirosis; Leptospirosis - urine; Mass spectrometry; Medicine; Metallography; Microscopy; Peptidase; Protein expression; Proteins; Proteins - analysis; Proteins - genetics; Proteomics - methods; Rats; Rattus norvegicus; Renal tubules; Rodents; Scientific imaging; Shedding; Two dimensional analysis; Urine; Veterinary medicine; Veterinary Science; Virulence; Virulence factors; Los Angeles California; California; United States > US; Ireland
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026046

Rattus norvegicus is a natural reservoir host for pathogenic species of Leptospira. Experimentally infected rats remain clinically normal, yet persistently excrete large numbers of leptospires from colonized renal tubules via urine, despite a specific host immune response. Whilst persistent renal colonization and shedding is facilitated in part by differential antigen expression by leptospires to evade host immune responses, there is limited understanding of kidney and urinary proteins expressed by the host that facilitates such biological equilibrium. Urine pellets were collected from experimentally infected rats shedding leptospires and compared to urine from non-infected controls spiked with in vitro cultivated leptospires for analysis by 2-D DIGE. Differentially expressed host proteins include membrane metallo endopeptidase, napsin A aspartic peptidase, vacuolar H+ATPase, kidney aminopeptidase and immunoglobulin G and A. Loa22, a virulence factor of Leptospira, as well as the GroEL, were increased in leptospires excreted in urine compared to in vitro cultivated leptospires. Urinary IgG from infected rats was specific for leptospires. Results confirm differential protein expression by both host and pathogen during chronic disease and include markers of kidney function and immunoglobulin which are potential biomarkers of infection.