Abstract：The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the role of cholesterol of the membrane microdomain in the uptake of Francisella tularensis ( F. tularensis) LVS by mouse macrophages. A shuttle plasmid, pFNLTP6 gro-gfp, was transformed by electroporation to F. tularensis LVS. Cell cholesterol was stained with Filipin Ⅲ, and caveolin-1 was detected with monoclonal antibody and visualized with Alexa 594 conjugated goat anti-mouse antibodies. F. tularensis LVS infection was analyzed using a fluorescencemicroscope equipped with amotorized Z-focus. In order to evaluate the effect of depletion of the membrane microdomain on F. tularensis entery into macrophages, interference with lipid-rich plasmamembrane through the depletion of cholesterol was performed by methyl-β-cyclodextrin. The cholesterol-binding agent, Filipin III, was used to detect the effect of cholesterol depletion. The results showed that cell cholesterol was co-localized with F. tularensis live vaccine strain in the early uptake stage, and both had close contact with the membrane microdomain-associated components, such as caveolin-1. F. tularensis requires cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains for entry into macrophages. These findings suggest that cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains and caveolin-1 play an important role in F. tularensis early entry into macrophages.
潘欣; 李广波; 瞿旻; 赵子夜; 李晗; 戚中田. 细胞膜微结构域中胆固醇对小鼠巨噬细胞摄取土拉菌的作用[J]. 微生物与感染
, 2009, 4(4): 223-227 .
Pan Xin; Li Guang-Bo; Qu Min; Zhao Zi-Ye; Li Han; Qi Zhong-Tian. Role of cholesterol of membrane microdomain in the uptake of Francisella tularensis by mouse macrophages. Journal of Microbes and Infections, 2009, 4(4): 223-227 .
2009, Vol. 4 
