Caracterização de ligantes de heparina em Trypanossoma cruzi e determinação do domínio de heparam sulfato envolvido no processo de invasão T. cruzi-cardiomiócito in vitro

The ability of Trypanosoma cruzi to recognize molecules at the surface of both the phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells is essential to its survival in the vertebrate host. The role of the sulfated proteoglycans in the cell reco gnition process has been reported in several human pathogens, including T. cruzi . Data from our group have demonstrated the participation of heparan sulfated proteoglycan (HSP G) of cardiomyocytes in the invasion for forms trypomastigotes. However, the structure of th e HSPG molecule involved in the receptor-ligand interaction and the role of other s ulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the invasion process have not been elucidated yet. To evaluate the participation of GAGs in T. cruzi invasion, trypomastigotes, clone Dm28c, were pre-treated with 20μg/ml of heparin, ke ratan sulfate (KS) or three distinct fragments of heparan sulfate (HS) obtained by enzym atic (heparitinase I and II) and nitrous acid treatments. For competition assays, the untrea ted or soluble GAGs pre-treated parasites were incubated for 2h at 37°C with the ca rdiomyocyte cultures and the percentage of infection was determined after Giemsa staining. Our results revealed a significant inhibition of the infection index of 84.8% and 45% after treatment of the parasites with heparin and the N-acetylated/ N-sulfated fragment, respectively, suggesting the important role of the ([IdoUA-GlcNAc]-[GlcUA-GlcNS] 3 -[GlcUA-GlcNAc] 4 [GlcNAc]) domain of the HS chain in the T. cruzi -cardiomyocyte recognition. In contrast, the treatm ent of the parasites with KS, N- acetylated or N-sulfated fragments did not display any effect in the invasion process. The role of sulfation in the recognition and invasion p rocess was evaluated by treating the cardiomyocytes cultures for 16h at 37°C with differ ent concentrations of sodium chlorate, followed by trypomastigotes infection (2h). The dec line of sulfation resulted in the reduction (dose dependent) of the infection index, achieving inhibition levels of 26%, 48.5% and 73.6% after treatment of cardiomyocyte cultures with 25mM , 50mM and 75mM of sodium chlorate, respectively, suggesting the participation of negat ive charge as modulator of the specific recognition with the NA/NS domain of HS chain. Additionately, biochemical assays were performed to characterize the heparin binding protein present at the surface of T. cruzi . Two major protein bands of 65.8 kDa and 59 kDa were identified in the total protein extract of all evolutive forms of T. cruzi by Western blotting , using biotin conjugated-heparin, -chondroitin sulfa te (CS) and -HS. The T. cruzi heparin ligand was isolated by association of Triton X-114 extraction method and heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. After metabolic labeling ( 35 S-Methionine), the hydrophobic proteins were isolated by affinity column and separated by S DS-PAGE, revealing a protein profile, similar to total protein extract, with two major ba nds (65.8 kDa and 59 kDa) eluted with 0.5M and 1M NaCl in trypomastigotes and epimastigotes, r espectively. The isotopic analysis also revealed a higher expression of heparin ligand (1.3 -2X) in trypomastigotes when compared to epimastigotes. The heparin binding proteins were detected at membrane fraction of epimastigotes obtained by cell fractionation method ology associated to the affinity column purification. The detection of proteins eluted from heparin affinity column with biotinilated heparin, CS and HS by Western blotting revealed intense labeling mainly at the 59 kDa protein. In addition, the analysis of the proteins by denaturant electrophoresis revealed the presence of two protein band in both trypomastigote s and epimastigotes forms of T. cruzi . Complementary biochemical assays will be carried ou t to get more detailed information about the T. cruzi heparin binding protein.