Chlamydia: How bacteria take over control

Zwei Zellen, links nach einer Infektion mit Chlamydia-Bakterien, rechts ohne. Obwohl beide Zellen mit einer Substanz behandelt wurden, die das mitochondriale Netzwerk zerstört, bleibt das Netzwerk in der infizierten Zelle intakt. (Abbildung: Suvagata Roy Chowdhury)

When Chlamydia trachomatis infects a human cell, it faces a huge challenge: It must prevent the cell from triggering programmed cell death to prevent the bacteria from replicating and spreading throughout the body.

Since numerous metabolic processes are either missing or fragmented in the pathogen, it is reliant on the host cell to supply the vital nutrients on a permanent basis.

Research projects worldwide focus on how the bacteria manage to keep the cell alive and working for it. Scientists from the University of Würzburg have now uncovered a new detail of these processes.

They identified a mechanism with which Chlamydia trachomatis influences the mitochondria, the cells' power plants, thereby preventing the cells from committing suicide. In the scientific journal Journal of Cell Biology, the scientists present the results of their work.

The role of mitochondria

The study was led by Professor Thomas Rudel, who holds the Chair of Microbiology at the University of Würzburg. Already three years ago, Rudel and his team showed that chlamydiae disable the tumour suppressor protein p53 in infected cells and initiate a process which repairs DNA damages resulting from chlamydia infection. By blocking p53, the bacteria prevent the cell from knocking itself out in the worst case, thereby winning time for replication.

In their new study, the microbiologists took a closer look at the mitochondria. “Mitochondria play a crucial role in energy supply and programmed cell death,” Thomas Rudel explains. He sees strong evidence that changes in their architecture and dynamics are closely related to the cells' general metabolic processes.

Focus on small RNA molecules

What impact does a chlamydia infection have on mitochondria? To answer this question, Rudel's team scrutinized another actor in the goings-on inside cells: the so-called miRNAs or microRNAs. These small RNA molecules control vital processes inside cells by regulating complex networks of genes.

High-throughput sequencing allowed Rudel and his team to study in depth how a chlamydia infection impacts the miRNA expression of the infected cell. The most striking finding is a greatly increased production of the miR-30c-5p microRNA. A high concentration of these tiny RNA molecules is beneficial for the bacteria: “They cause the tumour suppressor protein to be downregulated permanently,” Thomas Rudel explains.

In return, blocking miR-30c causes the chlamydia trouble, because the cell increases its production of Drp1, a protein that fragments the mitochondria in cells under stress. As its concentration inside cells increases, so does the stress-related mitochondrial division rate while the infected cell's chances of surviving the bacterial attack improve. This is because chlamydial growth is inhibited significantly by the fragmented mitochondria that supply less energy and starve the pathogens.

Chlamydia: Resourceful invaders

Bacteria of the strain Chlamydia trachomatis are responsible for a number of serious diseases in humans. Chlamydia infections are the most frequent sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Up to ten percent of the population worldwide are estimated to be infected with the bacteria depending on the age group.

Untreated, chlamydia infection can cause fallopian tubes blockage in women which can result in tubal pregnancy or infertility. Newer findings even suggest that chlamydia infections promote ovarian cancer. Men can become infertile after an infection.

Another consequence of chlamydia infection occurs especially in tropical countries: The bacteria infect the eyes and may cause blindness. It is estimated that around 150 million people are affected by the disease. Other strains may trigger pneumonia and are suspected to cause arteriosclerosis and Alzheimer's.

Chlamydia preserves the mitochondrial network necessary for replication via microRNA-dependent inhibition of fission. Suvagata Roy Chowdhury, Anastasija Reimer, Malvika Sharan, Vera Kozjak Pavlovic, Ana Eulalio, Bhupesh K. Prusty, Martin Fraunholz, Karthika Karunakaran, and Thomas Rudel The Journal of Cell Biology. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201608063

Contact

Prof. Dr. Thomas Rudel, Department of Microbiology, T +49 931 31-84401, Thomas.Rudel@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de

Media Contact

Gunnar Bartsch idw - Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

More Information:

http://www.uni-wuerzburg.de

All latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry

Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.

Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

New yttrium-hydrogen compounds discovered

Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have made a significant scientific breakthrough by discovering new yttrium-hydrogen compounds having serious implications for the research on high-pressure superconductivity. High-pressure superconductivity refers to…

New AI model detects ninety percent of lymphatic cancer cases

Medical image analysis using AI has developed rapidly in recent years. Now, one of the largest studies to date has been carried out using AI-assisted image analysis of lymphoma, cancer…

UTA preps giant particle detectors for neutrino project

Excavation of caverns part of Fermilab’s Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. With excavation work complete at the site where four gigantic particle detectors for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be…

Partners & Sponsors