Mycobacterium marinum MgtC plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication.

MgtC is a virulence factor involved in intramacrophage growth that has been reported in several intracellular pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. MgtC participates also in adaptation to Mg2+ deprivation. Herein, we have constructed a mgtC muta...

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Main Authors: Claudine Belon, Laïla Gannoun-Zaki, Georges Lutfalla, Laurent Kremer, Anne-Béatrice Blanc-Potard
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116052
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author Claudine Belon
Laïla Gannoun-Zaki
Georges Lutfalla
Laurent Kremer
Anne-Béatrice Blanc-Potard
author_facet Claudine Belon
Laïla Gannoun-Zaki
Georges Lutfalla
Laurent Kremer
Anne-Béatrice Blanc-Potard
author_sort Claudine Belon
collection DOAJ
description MgtC is a virulence factor involved in intramacrophage growth that has been reported in several intracellular pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. MgtC participates also in adaptation to Mg2+ deprivation. Herein, we have constructed a mgtC mutant in Mycobacterium marinum to further investigate the role of MgtC in mycobacteria. We show that the M. marinum mgtC gene (Mma mgtC) is strongly induced upon Mg2+ deprivation and is required for optimal growth in Mg2+-deprived medium. The behaviour of the Mma mgtC mutant has been investigated in the Danio rerio infection model using a transgenic reporter zebrafish line that specifically labels neutrophils. Although the mgtC mutant is not attenuated in the zebrafish embryo model based on survival curves, our results indicate that phagocytosis by neutrophils is enhanced with the mgtC mutant compared to the wild-type strain following subcutaneous injection. Increased phagocytosis of the mutant strain is also observed ex vivo with the murine J774 macrophage cell line. On the other hand, no difference was found between the mgtC mutant and the wild-type strain in bacterial adhesion to macrophages and in the internalization into epithelial cells. Unlike the role reported for MgtC in other intracellular pathogens, Mma MgtC does not contribute significantly to intramacrophage replication. Taken together, these results indicate an unanticipated function of Mma MgtC at early step of infection within phagocytic cells. Hence, our results indicate that although the MgtC function is conserved among pathogens regarding adaptation to Mg2+ deprivation, its role towards phagocytic cells can differ, possibly in relation with the specific pathogen's lifestyles.
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spelling doaj.art-e25ac279a8ba4d508f14fdc10f80911a2022-12-21T23:31:56ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-01912e11605210.1371/journal.pone.0116052Mycobacterium marinum MgtC plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication.Claudine BelonLaïla Gannoun-ZakiGeorges LutfallaLaurent KremerAnne-Béatrice Blanc-PotardMgtC is a virulence factor involved in intramacrophage growth that has been reported in several intracellular pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. MgtC participates also in adaptation to Mg2+ deprivation. Herein, we have constructed a mgtC mutant in Mycobacterium marinum to further investigate the role of MgtC in mycobacteria. We show that the M. marinum mgtC gene (Mma mgtC) is strongly induced upon Mg2+ deprivation and is required for optimal growth in Mg2+-deprived medium. The behaviour of the Mma mgtC mutant has been investigated in the Danio rerio infection model using a transgenic reporter zebrafish line that specifically labels neutrophils. Although the mgtC mutant is not attenuated in the zebrafish embryo model based on survival curves, our results indicate that phagocytosis by neutrophils is enhanced with the mgtC mutant compared to the wild-type strain following subcutaneous injection. Increased phagocytosis of the mutant strain is also observed ex vivo with the murine J774 macrophage cell line. On the other hand, no difference was found between the mgtC mutant and the wild-type strain in bacterial adhesion to macrophages and in the internalization into epithelial cells. Unlike the role reported for MgtC in other intracellular pathogens, Mma MgtC does not contribute significantly to intramacrophage replication. Taken together, these results indicate an unanticipated function of Mma MgtC at early step of infection within phagocytic cells. Hence, our results indicate that although the MgtC function is conserved among pathogens regarding adaptation to Mg2+ deprivation, its role towards phagocytic cells can differ, possibly in relation with the specific pathogen's lifestyles.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116052
spellingShingle Claudine Belon
Laïla Gannoun-Zaki
Georges Lutfalla
Laurent Kremer
Anne-Béatrice Blanc-Potard
Mycobacterium marinum MgtC plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication.
PLoS ONE
title Mycobacterium marinum MgtC plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication.
title_full Mycobacterium marinum MgtC plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication.
title_fullStr Mycobacterium marinum MgtC plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication.
title_full_unstemmed Mycobacterium marinum MgtC plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication.
title_short Mycobacterium marinum MgtC plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication.
title_sort mycobacterium marinum mgtc plays a role in phagocytosis but is dispensable for intracellular multiplication
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116052
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