Transcriptome modulation of bovine trophoblast cells in vitro by Neospora caninum

• Published in: International journal for parasitology 2017-10, Vol.47 (12), p.791-799
• Main Authors: Horcajo, Pilar, Jiménez-Pelayo, Laura, García-Sánchez, Marta, Regidor-Cerrillo, Javier, Collantes-Fernández, Esther, Rozas, Daniel, Hambruch, Nina, Pfarrer, Christiane, Ortega-Mora, Luis Miguel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Bovine trophoblast; Cattle; Cell Cycle - physiology; Cell Line; Cholesterol - biosynthesis; Computational Biology; Extracellular Matrix - enzymology; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Extracellular Matrix - parasitology; Flow Cytometry; Gene Expression; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Isolates; Matrix Metalloproteinases - genetics; Matrix Metalloproteinases - metabolism; Neospora - genetics; Neospora - pathogenicity; Neospora - physiology; Neospora caninum; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Protozoan Proteins - metabolism; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reproducibility of Results; RNA, Protozoan - chemistry; RNA, Protozoan - isolation & purification; Transcription Factor AP-1 - metabolism; Transcriptome; Transcriptome - physiology; Trophoblasts - cytology; Trophoblasts - parasitology; Virulence
• ISSN: 0020-7519; 1879-0135
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.08.007

[Display omitted] •Neospora caninum is able to modulate the transcriptome profile of bovine trophoblast cells.•Neospora isolates with marked differences in virulence modulate trophoblast cells in a similar way.•Two host cell processes more influenced by Neospora caninum are extracellular matrix organisation and cholesterol synthesis.•Biologically different Neospora isolates show marked differences in their transcriptome profiles. Neospora caninum is one of the most efficient transplacentally transmitted pathogens in cattle and is a cause of abortion in this domestic species. The invasion and proliferation of Neospora caninum in the placenta and its dissemination to the foetus are crucial events in the outcome of an infection. In the bovine placenta, the placentomes are formed by maternal caruncles, which are delimited by a maternal epithelium and foetal cotyledons, which are delimited by an epithelial layer named the trophoblast. These epithelia form a physical barrier against foetal infection. Furthermore, trophoblast cells act as an innate immune defence at the foetal-maternal interface. Neospora caninum invades and proliferates in trophoblast cells in vitro, but it is unknown whether host cell modulation events, which affect the immune response and other processes in the trophoblast, occur. In this work, we investigated the transcriptomic modulation by Neospora caninum infection in the bovine trophoblast cell line F3. In addition, two Neospora caninum isolates with marked differences in virulence, Nc-Spain1H and the Nc-Spain7, were used in this study to investigate the influence of these isolates in F3 modulation. The results showed a clear influence on extracellular matrix reorganisation, cholesterol biosynthesis and the transcription factor AP-1 network. Interestingly, although differences in the transcriptome profiles induced by each isolate were observed, specific isolate-modulated processes were not identified, suggesting very similar regulation in both isolates. Differential expression of the N. caninum genes between both isolates was also investigated. Genes involved in host cell attachment and invasion (SAG-related and microneme proteins), glideosome, rhoptries, metabolic processes, cell cycle and stress response were differentially expressed between the isolates, which could explain their variability. This study provides a global view of Neospora caninum interactions with bovine trophoblast cells and of the intra-specific differences between tw