Mycobacterium marinum infection drives foam cell differentiation in zebrafish infection models

Matt D Johansen; Joshua A Kasparian; Elinor Hortle; Warwick J Britton; Auriol C Purdie; Stefan H Oehlers

doi:10.1016/j.dci.2018.07.022

Mycobacterium marinum infection drives foam cell differentiation in zebrafish infection models

Dev Comp Immunol. 2018 Nov:88:169-172. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.07.022. Epub 2018 Jul 21.

Authors

Matt D Johansen¹, Joshua A Kasparian¹, Elinor Hortle², Warwick J Britton³, Auriol C Purdie⁴, Stefan H Oehlers⁵

Affiliations

¹ Tuberculosis Research Program, Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia.
² Tuberculosis Research Program, Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
³ Tuberculosis Research Program, Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Newtown, NSW, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute, University of Sydney, Newtown, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia.
⁵ Tuberculosis Research Program, Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Newtown, NSW, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute, University of Sydney, Newtown, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: stefan.oehlers@sydney.edu.au.

PMID: 30040967
DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.07.022

Abstract

Host lipid metabolism is an important target for subversion by pathogenic mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The appearance of foam cells within the granuloma are well-characterised effects of chronic tuberculosis. The zebrafish-Mycobacterium marinum infection model recapitulates many aspects of human-M. tuberculosis infection and is used as a model to investigate the structural components of the mycobacterial granuloma. Here, we demonstrate that the zebrafish-M. marinum granuloma contains foam cells and that the transdifferentiation of macrophages into foam cells is driven by the mycobacterial ESX1 pathogenicity locus. This report demonstrates conservation of an important aspect of mycobacterial infection across species.

Keywords: Foam cell; Granuloma; Lipid; Mycobacterium; Pathogenesis; Zebrafish.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antigens, Bacterial / immunology
Bacterial Proteins / immunology
Cell Transdifferentiation / immunology
Disease Models, Animal
Foam Cells / physiology*
Granuloma / immunology
Granuloma / microbiology
Humans
Lipid Metabolism / immunology
Macrophages / physiology
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / immunology*
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / microbiology
Mycobacterium marinum / immunology*
Mycobacterium marinum / pathogenicity
Mycobacterium tuberculosis / immunology
Mycobacterium tuberculosis / pathogenicity
Tuberculosis / immunology*
Tuberculosis / microbiology
Zebrafish / physiology*

Substances

Antigens, Bacterial
Bacterial Proteins

Supplementary concepts

Infection with Mycobacterium marinum