钩端螺旋体溶血素Sph2表达模式及诱导巨噬细胞和肝细胞凋亡活性

目的 了解问号钩端螺旋体(简称钩体)感染细胞前后sph2基因表达水平变化,确定鞘磷脂酶类溶血素Sph2及诱导细胞凋亡的活性.方法 采用PCR从黄疸出血群赖型赖株钩体基因组DNA中扩增全长sph2基因片段,T-A克隆后测序.构建sph2基因原核表达系统,采用SDS-PAGE检查重组Sph2(rSph2)的表达情况,Ni-NTA亲和层析法提纯rSph2.采用绵羊血平板溶血试验及血红蛋白分光光度法测定rSph2的溶血活性.采用流式细胞术检测rSph2诱导小鼠单核-巨噬样细胞株J774A.1和肝细胞株IAR20凋亡的活性,实时荧光定量PCR检测赖株钩体感染J774A.1和IAR20细胞前后sph2基因mRNA水平变化.结果 与GenBank中sph2基因比较,所克隆的sph2基因序列相似性为100%.所构建的原核表达系统能高效表达rSph2.rSph2以浓度依赖方式溶解绵羊红细胞.10 μg/ml rSph2可诱导J774A.1和IAR20细胞凋亡,凋亡率峰值分别为23.96%和32.92%.赖株钩体感染J774A.1和IAR20细胞后0.5～2 h内sph2基因mRNA水平显著升高,2 h后mRNA水平迅速下降.结论 钩体sph2基因呈宿主细胞接触式瞬时表达.rSph2有溶解绵羊红细胞及诱导巨噬细胞和肝细胞凋亡的活性,因而Sph2是钩体致病过程中重要的毒力因子.

Expression pattern and apoptosis-inducing activity to murine macrophages and hepatocytes of Leptospira interrogans Sph2 hemolysin

Objective To determine the change of expression level of Leptospira interrogans sph2 gene, and hemolytic and cell apoptosis-inducing activities of sphingomyelinase hemolysin Sph2. Methods Entire sph2 gene fragment was amplified by PCR from genomic DNA of L. Interrogans serovar serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai strain Lai, and sequenced after T-A cloning. Subsequently, a prokaryotic expression system of sph2 gene was constructed. The expression of target recombinant Sph2( rSph2 ) was examined by SDS-PAGE and the expressed rSph2 was extracted by Ni-NTA affinity chromatogaphy. The hemolytic activity of rSph2 was measured by hemolytic test in sheep blood agar plate and spectrophotometry-based hemoglobin measurement, and the apoptosis-inducing activity of rSph2 to murine mononuclear-macrophagelike cell line(J774A. 1) and hepatic cell line(IAR20) was determined by flow cytometry. A real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR was applied to detect the change of sph2 mRNA levels before and after L. Interrogans strain Lai infecting J774A. 1 and IAR20 cells. Results The cloned sph2 gene had 100% sequence identity to the corresponding gene in GenBank. The constructed prokaryotic expression system was able to efficiently express rSph2. The rSph2 could lyse sheep erythrocytes in concentration-dependent pattern. 10μg/ml rSph2 could induce the apoptosis of J774A. 1 cells and IAR20 cells, and the peak apoptotic rates were 23.96% and 32.92%, respectively. The mRNA level of sph2 gene was significantly elevated within 0.5-2 h of L. Interrogans strain Lai infecting either J774A. 1 or IAR20 cells, and then the mRNA level was quickly descended. Conclusion The sph2 gene of L. Interrogans strain Lai has a transient expression when the microbe contacts host cells. rSph2 possesses activities of sheep erythrocyte lysis and inducing macrophage and hepatocyte apoptosis, indicating Sph2 as an important virulence factor during pathogenic process of Leptospira.