Ximena Volpini, Laura F. Ambrosio, Laura Fozzatti, Constanza Insfran, Cinthia C. Stempin, Laura Cervi, Claudia Cristina Motran
Abstract
During the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, macrophages can act as host cells for the parasites as well as effector cells in the early anti-parasitic immune response. Thus, the targeting of specific signaling pathways could modulate macrophages response to restrict parasite replication and instruct an appropriate adaptive response. Recently, it has become evident that Wnt signaling has immunomodulatory functions during inflammation and infection. Here, we tested the hypothesis that during T. cruzi infection, the activation of Wnt signaling pathway in macrophages plays a role in modulating the inflammatory/tolerogenic response and therefore regulating the control of parasite replication. In this report, we show that early after T. cruzi infection of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM), β-catenin was activated and Wnt3a, Wnt5a, and some Frizzled receptors as well as Wnt/β-catenin pathway's target genes were upregulated, with Wnt proteins signaling sustaining the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway and then activating the Wnt/Ca+2 pathway. Wnt signaling pathway activation was critical to sustain the parasite's replication in BMM; since the treatments with specific inhibitors of β-catenin transcriptional activation or Wnt proteins secretion limited the parasite replication. Mechanistically, inhibition of Wnt signaling pathway armed BMM to fight against T. cruzi by inducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity and by downregulating arginase activity. Likewise, in vivo pharmacological inhibition of the Wnts' interaction with its receptors controlled the parasite replication and improved the survival of lethally infected mice. It is well established that T. cruzi infection activates a plethora of signaling pathways that ultimately regulate immune mediators to determine the modulation of a defined set of effector functions in macrophages. In this study, we have revealed a new signaling pathway that is activated by the interaction between protozoan parasites and host innate immunity, establishing a new conceptual framework for the development of new therapies.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 15 June 2018.
All research outputs
#17,475,714
of 26,414,132 outputs
Outputs from Frontiers in immunology
#19,243
of 33,172 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#213,446
of 344,099 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Frontiers in immunology
#499
of 705 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 26,414,132 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 31st percentile – i.e., 31% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 33,172 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 8.6. This one is in the 36th percentile – i.e., 36% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 344,099 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 35th percentile – i.e., 35% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 705 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 24th percentile – i.e., 24% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
