Open AccessBartonella quintana Variably Expressed Outer Membrane Proteins Mediate Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Secretion but Not Host Cell Adherence
Author(s) -
Berit Schulte,
Dirk Linke,
Sandra Klumpp,
Martin Schaller,
Tanja Rieß,
Ingo B. Autenrieth,
Volkhard A. J. Kempf
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
infection and immunity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.508
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1070-6313
pISSN - 0019-9567
DOI - 10.1128/iai.00663-06
Subject(s) - biology , bacillary angiomatosis , secretion , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , bartonella henselae , antibody , endocrinology , serology
Bartonella quintana causes trench fever, endocarditis, and the vasculoproliferative disorders bacillary angiomatosis and peliosis hepatis in humans. Little is known about the interaction of this pathogen with host cells. We attempted to elucidate the interaction ofB. quintana with human macrophages (THP-1) and epithelial cells (HeLa 229). Remarkably, onlyB. quintana strain JK-31 induced secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from THP-1 and HeLa 229 cells upon infection similar to the secretion induced byB. henselae Marseille, whereas other strains (B. quintana 2-D70,B. quintana Toulouse, andB. quintana Munich) did not induce such secretion. Immunofluorescence testing and electron microscopy revealed that theB. quintana strains unable to induce VEGF secretion did not express the variable outer membrane proteins (Vomps) on their surfaces. Surprisingly, the increase in VEGF secretion mediated byB. quintana JK-31 was not paralleled by elevated host cell adherence rates compared with the rates for Vomp-negativeB. quintana strains. Our results suggest that the Vomps play a leading role in the angiogenic reprogramming of host cells byB. quintana but not in the adherence to host cells.