Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1994 Aug;62(8):3172–3177. doi: 10.1128/iai.62.8.3172-3177.1994

Cytokine sensitivity and methylation of lysine in Rickettsia prowazekii EVir and interferon-resistant R. prowazekii strains.

J Turco 1, H H Winkler 1
PMCID: PMC302942  PMID: 7518807

Abstract

Modified Rickettsia prowazekii strains have been derived from the avirulent Madrid E strain by passage in the lungs of white mice (strain EVir) or by selection for resistance to gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) (strains 427-19 and 87-17) or alpha/beta interferon (IFN-alpha/beta) (strains 83-2P, 60P, 103-2P, and 110-1P). Compared with the Madrid E strain, strain EVir has increased virulence (N. M. Balayeva and V. N. Nikolskaya, J. Hyg. Epidemiol. Microbiol. Immunol. 17:11-20, 1973) and a different lysine methylation profile in its surface protein antigen (A. V. Rodionov, M. E. Eremeeva, and N. M. Balayeva, Acta Virol. 35:557-565, 1991). The other six strains differ from the Madrid E strain in their resistance to IFN and their ability to grow well in untreated macrophagelike RAW264.7 cells. In the present study, to determine which properties are shared by these strains, we examined R. prowazekii EVir for the following: (i) the sensitivity of its growth in L929 cells to the cytokines IFN-alpha/beta, IFN-gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and IFN-gamma plus TNF-alpha; (ii) the ability to grow in untreated RAW264.7 cells; and (iii) the ability to induce interferon in L929 cell cultures; we also evaluated strains 83-2P and 87-17 for lysine methylation. Multiplication of strain EVir in growing L929 cells was not markedly inhibited by either IFN-alpha/beta or IFN-gamma. In X-irradiated L929 cells, growth of strain EVir was slightly inhibited (11%) by TNF-alpha alone, somewhat inhibited (38%) by IFN-gamma alone, and markedly inhibited (87%) by IFN-gamma plus TNF-alpha. Nitrite production was induced in X-irradiated, strain EVir-infected L929 cell cultures treated with TNF-alpha alone or IFN-gamma alone; however, more nitrite was produced in infected cultures treated with IFN-gamma plus TNF-alpha. Nitrite production, the dramatic inhibitory effect of IFN-gamma plus TNF-alpha, and the modest inhibitory effect of IFN-gamma on the growth of strain EVir in X-irradiated L929 cells were all alleviated by the addition of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-methyl-L-arginine. Strain EVir grew very well in untreated macrophagelike RAW264.7 cells and appeared defective in the ability to induce IFN in L929 cell cultures. All strains grown in L929 cells in the presence of radiolabeled lysine had similar percentages of their radioactivity as methylated lysines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Full text

PDF
3177

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BOVARNICK M. R., MILLER J. C., SNYDER J. C. The influence of certain salts, amino acids, sugars, and proteins on the stability of rickettsiae. J Bacteriol. 1950 Apr;59(4):509–522. doi: 10.1128/jb.59.4.509-522.1950. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Balaeva N. M., Nikolskaya V. N. Increased virulence of the E vaccine strain of Rickettsia prowazeki passaged in the lungs of white mice and guinea pigs. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol. 1973;17(1):11–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. GIMENEZ D. F. STAINING RICKETTSIAE IN YOLK-SAC CULTURES. Stain Technol. 1964 May;39:135–140. doi: 10.3109/10520296409061219. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gambrill M. R., Wisseman C. L., Jr Mechanisms of immunity in typhus infections. I. Multiplication of typhus rickettsiae in human macrophage cell cultures in the nonimmune system: influence of virulence of rickettsial strains and of chloramphenicol. Infect Immun. 1973 Oct;8(4):519–527. doi: 10.1128/iai.8.4.519-527.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hanson B. Comparative susceptibility to mouse interferons of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi strains with different virulence in mice and of Rickettsia rickettsii. Infect Immun. 1991 Nov;59(11):4134–4141. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.11.4134-4141.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hanson B. Susceptibility of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi Gilliam to gamma interferon in cultured mouse cells. Infect Immun. 1991 Nov;59(11):4125–4133. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.11.4125-4133.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jerrells T. R., Li H., Walker D. H. In vivo and in vitro role of gamma interferon in immune clearance of Rickettsia species. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1988;239:193–200. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4757-5421-6_19. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kazar J., Krautwurst P. A., Gordon F. B. Effect of Interferon and Interferon Inducers on Infections with a Nonviral Intracellular Microorganism, Rickettsia akari. Infect Immun. 1971 Jun;3(6):819–824. doi: 10.1128/iai.3.6.819-824.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kazár J. Interferon-like inhibitor in mouse sera induced by rickettsiae. Acta Virol. 1966 May;10(3):277–277. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Li H., Jerrells T. R., Spitalny G. L., Walker D. H. Gamma interferon as a crucial host defense against Rickettsia conorii in vivo. Infect Immun. 1987 May;55(5):1252–1255. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.5.1252-1255.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Manor E., Sarov I. Inhibition of Rickettsia conorii growth by recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha: enhancement of inhibition by gamma interferon. Infect Immun. 1990 Jun;58(6):1886–1890. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.6.1886-1890.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rodionov A. V., Eremeeva M. E., Balayeva N. M. Isolation and partial characterization of the M(r) 100 kD protein from Rickettsia prowazekii strains of different virulence. Acta Virol. 1991 Nov;35(6):557–565. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Turco J., Winkler H. H. Cloned mouse interferon-gamma inhibits the growth of Rickettsia prowazekii in cultured mouse fibroblasts. J Exp Med. 1983 Dec 1;158(6):2159–2164. doi: 10.1084/jem.158.6.2159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Turco J., Winkler H. H. Comparison of properties of virulent, avirulent, and interferon-resistant Rickettsia prowazekii strains. Infect Immun. 1991 May;59(5):1647–1655. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.5.1647-1655.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Turco J., Winkler H. H. Differentiation between virulent and avirulent strains of Rickettsia prowazekii by macrophage-like cell lines. Infect Immun. 1982 Mar;35(3):783–791. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.3.783-791.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Turco J., Winkler H. H. Inhibition of the growth of Rickettsia prowazekii in cultured fibroblasts by lymphokines. J Exp Med. 1983 Mar 1;157(3):974–986. doi: 10.1084/jem.157.3.974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Turco J., Winkler H. H. Interferon-alpha/beta and Rickettsia prowazekii: induction and sensitivity. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1990;590:168–186. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1990.tb42219.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Turco J., Winkler H. H. Isolation of Rickettsia prowazekii with reduced sensitivity to gamma interferon. Infect Immun. 1989 Jun;57(6):1765–1772. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.6.1765-1772.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Turco J., Winkler H. H. Role of the nitric oxide synthase pathway in inhibition of growth of interferon-sensitive and interferon-resistant Rickettsia prowazekii strains in L929 cells treated with tumor necrosis factor alpha and gamma interferon. Infect Immun. 1993 Oct;61(10):4317–4325. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.10.4317-4325.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Turco J., Winkler H. H. Selection of alpha/beta interferon- and gamma interferon-resistant rickettsiae by passage of Rickettsia prowazekii in L929 cells. Infect Immun. 1990 Oct;58(10):3279–3285. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.10.3279-3285.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Walker T. S., Winkler H. H. Rickettsial hemolysis: rapid method for enumeration of metabolically active typhus rickettsiae. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 May;9(5):645–647. doi: 10.1128/jcm.9.5.645-647.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wisseman C. L., Jr, Waddell A. Interferonlike factors from antigen- and mitogen-stimulated human leukocytes with antirickettsial and cytolytic actions on Rickettsia prowazekii. Infected human endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages. J Exp Med. 1983 Jun 1;157(6):1780–1793. doi: 10.1084/jem.157.6.1780. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES