| Summary: | Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis that frequently occurs in tropical and subtropical countries. <i>Leptospira</i> enters the host through wounds or mucous membranes and spreads to the whole body through the blood, causing systemic infection. Kidneys are the preferential site where <i>Leptospira</i> accumulates, especially in the renal interstitium and renal tubule epithelial cells. Clinical symptoms in humans include high fever, jaundice, renal failure, and severe multiple-organ failure (Weil’s syndrome). Surface-exposed antigens are located at the outermost layer of <i>Leptospira</i> and these potential virulence factors are likely involved in primary host-pathogen interactions, adhesion, and/or invasion. Using the knockout/knockdown techniques to the evaluation of pathogenicity in the virulence factor are the most direct and effective methods and many virulence factors are evaluated including lipopolysaccharides (LPS), <i>Leptospira</i> lipoprotein 32 (LipL32), <i>Leptospira</i> ompA domain protein 22 (Loa22), LipL41, LipL71, <i>Leptospira</i> immunoglobulin-like repeat A (LigA), LigB, and LipL21. In this review, we will discuss the structure, functions, and dynamics of these virulence factors and the roles of these virulence factors in <i>Leptospira</i> pathogenicity. In addition, a protein family with special Leucine-rich repeat (LRR) will also be discussed for their vital role in <i>Leptospira</i> pathogenicity. Finally, these surface-exposed antigens are discussed in the application of the diagnosis target for leptospirosis and compared with the serum microscope agglutination test (MAT), the gold standard for leptospirosis.
|
|---|