A murcha bacteriana, causada por Ralstonia solanacearum, afeta principalmente as solanáceas, destacando-se as culturas da batata, berinjela, jiló, pimentão e tomate. No presente trabalho foi conduzida a caracterização molecular de isolados de R. solanacearum e sua possível relação com características relacionadas à morfologia, bioquímica, patogenicidade, agressividade e distribuição geográfica. Foram utilizados 51 isolados pertencentes à biovar 2, sendo 9 provenientes de berinjela e 42 de batata, coletados em diversas regiões brasileiras. A análise molecular permitiu separar os isolados em quatro grupos distintos de padrões de bandas para os iniciadores BOX e ERIC, e em cinco para o iniciador REP. Não foi encontrada relação dos grupos de isolados caracterizados molecularmente com tamanho de colônias, ocorrência de mutantes, produção de melanina, capacidade de colonização do sistema radicular e resistência a antibióticos/fungicidas. A identificação de isolados de batata, como biovar 2-A, e de berinjela, como biovar 2-T, com base em teste bioquímico do uso de trealose, foi confirmadas pela análise molecular. Não houve variação de agressividade entre os isolados inoculados em batata e berinjela, exceção feita ao isolado avirulento CNPH-65. Portanto, isolados das biovares 2-A e 2-T podem infectar estas duas hospedeiras com a mesma intensidade sob altas temperaturas. Para todos os isolados, o desenvolvimento da população bacteriana foi significativamente maior no sistema radicular de plantas das cultivares suscetíveis, tanto para batata como para berinjela. No entanto, dentro de cada cultivar, os isolados se comportaram de maneira semelhante, não sendo possível fazer distinção entre os mesmos. A tentativa de se associar grupos de isolados caracterizados molecularmente com os locais de origem revelou alguns aspectos interessantes. O grupo I agregou somente isolados do Paraná. No grupo II ficaram isolados da Bahia, Distrito Federal e do Paraná. No Grupo III, foram reunidos todos os isolados de berinjela e um único de batata, sendo todos procedentes do Distrito Federal. O grupo IV, de forma semelhante ao grupo II, reuniu isolados de locais diversos como Paraná, Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul e Distrito Federal. Portanto, nos grupos I e III parece haver uma tendência de relação entre grupamento molecular e local de origem, enquanto que para os grupos II e IV, isolados de características genéticas similares são provenientes de locais distintos, apontando considerável diversidade genética do patógeno. / The bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solonacearum affects mainly the solanaceous species, specially potato, eggplant, peppers, tomato and brazilian gilo (Solanum gilo). This work reports the molecular characterization of R. solanacearum biovar 2 isolates and the possible relationship of this molecular data with other characteristics related to morphology, biochemistry, pathogenicity, aggressiveness and geographical distribution. Fifty-one biovar 2 isolates were studied, 9 isolated from eggplant and 42 from potato, all of them collected from different regions of Brazil. According to the molecular analysis, the isolates were clustered in four different groups, with distinct band patterns to the primers BOX and ERIC, and five groups to the primers REP. There was no relationship between the groups clustered through molecular analyses and phenotypic characteristics, such as colony size, presence of mutants, melanin presence, capability of root system colonization and antibiotic/fungicide resistance. The identification of potato isolates as the biovar 2-A, and the eggplant isolates as biovar 2-T, based on biochemical tests using trealose were confirmed with the molecular analyses. There was no variation of aggressiveness in the isolates inoculated on potato an eggplant, except the avirulent isolate CNPH-65. Consequently, isolates of biovars 2-A and 2-T are able to infect both hosts with the same aggressiveness under high temperatures. The population of all isolates developed in significant levels at the root system of susceptible cultivars of both hosts, potato and eggplant. However, considering each cultivar tested, there was no difference between isolates. Interesting results were observed when the isolates clustered based on molecular data were associated with the geographical region of their collection. The group I clustered only the isolates collected in Paraná. The group II clustered the isolates collected in Bahia, Federal District and some in Paraná. The group III clustered all isolates from eggplant and only one of potato, all of them collected in the Federal District. The group IV, as the group II, clustered isolates from different regions, like Paraná, Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul and Federal District. These results suggest a relationship between the isolates clustered through molecular analysis in the groups II and III and their geographical region of collection. The isolates clustered in the same way, with similar genetic background in the groups II and IV, were however collected in different regions, showing the great genetic variation of this pathogen.

Bacteria are enclosed by a peptidoglycan sacculus, an exoskeleton-like polymer composed of glycan strands cross-linked by short peptides. The sacculus surrounds the cell in a closed bag-like structure and forms the main structural component of the bacterial cell wall. As bacteria grow and divide, cell wall remodelling by peptidoglycan hydrolases results in the release of peptidoglycan fragments from the sacculus. In Gram-negative bacteria, these fragments are efficiently trapped and recycled. Gram-positive bacteria however shed large quantities of peptidoglycan fragments into the environment. For nearly five decades, Gram-positive bacteria were thus assumed not to recycle peptidoglycan and this process has remained enigmatic until recently. In this thesis, the occurrence and physiological role of peptidoglycan recycling in the Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. S. aureus is an important pathogen, and is becoming increasingly resistant to many antibiotics. Through bioinformatic and experimental means it was determined that S. aureus may potentially recycle components of peptidoglycan and novel peptidoglycan recycling components were identified and characterised. Though disruption of putative peptidoglycan recycling in S. aureus appears not affect growth or gross morphology of this bacterium, potential roles for peptidoglycan recycling in cell wall homeostasis and in virulence were identified. This is to my knowledge the first demonstration of a potential role of peptidoglycan recycling in either of these aspects of bacterial physiology in any Gram-positive bacterium. This is an important step forward in understanding the basic biology of Gram-positive bacteria, and in understanding the mechanisms of virulence in S. aureus. Future study of this process in S. aureus and other Gram-positive bacteria promises to reveal yet further facets of this process and its functions, potentially leading to the identification of novel therapeutic approaches to combat infections.

Les microsporidies sont des pathogènes intracellulaires obligatoires apparentés aux champignons. Elles infectent de nombreux animaux, dont le nématode Caenorhabditis elegans. La première microsporidie isolée d’une souche de C. elegans sauvage a été nommée Nematocida parisii. L’interaction entre N. parisii et C. elegans est devenue un puisant modèle pour l'étude des interactions hôte-pathogène. Cependant, ce modèle a été récemment découvert et de nombreux détails sur son écologie et sa biologie restaient inconnus. Notamment, nous ignorions l’incidence et la diversité des infections microsporidiennes chez C. elegans et autres nématodes dans la nature.A partir d’une collection de nématodes, de la famille des Rhabditidae, échantillonnés dans le monde entier, j’ai recensé un panel de 47 nématodes présentant des symptômes d’infection par des microsporidies. J’ai caractérisé moléculairement la diversité de ce parasite infectant ces nématodes et déterminé que N. parisii est la microsporidie la plus souvent responsable des infections chez C. elegans dans la nature. J’ai également décrit et nommé six nouvelles espèces de Nematocida. Au cours de mes travaux, j’ai aussi défini deux nouveaux genres de microsporidies génétiquement distincts de Nematocida, appelés Enteropsectra et Pancytospora. Mes travaux ont de plus détaillé la diversité qui existe chez les microsporidies parasites de nématodes. Ces microsporidies présentent des différences en terme de taille et forme de leurs spores, de leur tropismes tissulaire et intracellulaire chez l’hôte, de leur voie de sortie des cellules hôtes mais aussi de spectre d’hôtes. Mes résultats ont démontré que, dans la nature, les infections de C. elegans et autres nématodes par les microsporidies sont répandues et diverses.De plus, j’ai estimé la variation naturelle pour la sensibilité de C. elegans à l'infection par N. ausubeli. J’ai notamment comparé 10 souches naturelles de C. elegans en utilisant des tests de consommation alimentaire. Deux souches de C. elegans, JU1249 et JU2825, présentaient des niveaux contrastés de sensibilité, ce que j’ai interprété comme étant une différence de niveau de tolérance aux infections. Ces deux souches se sont révélées être de bons candidats pour une future caractérisation des loci génétiques associés à la variation de sensibilité de C. elegans aux infections microsporidiennes. Enfin, j’ai observé un effet surprenant de l'infection de C. elegans par les microsporidies. En effet, la présence du pathogène est capable de supprimer le déclin progressif de la fécondité à haute température chez certaines lignées de C. elegans. / Microsporidia are fungi-related intracellular pathogens that infect a great variety of animals, including the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The first microsporidia isolated from wild C. elegans was named Nematocida parisii in 2008. C. elegans and N. parisii have been used as a powerful model for the study of host-pathogen interactions. However, it was unclear how widespread and diverse microsporidia infections are in C. elegans or other related nematodes in the wild.By sampling rhabditid nematodes worldwide, we established a collection of 47 nematodes that displayed putative microsporidia infections. We characterized molecularly these infections and determined that N. parisii (or N. ironsii) is the most common microsporidia infecting C. elegans in the wild. We further described and named six new Nematocida species. In addition, we defined two new genera of nematode-infecting microsporidia, named Enteropsectra and Pancytospora, which are genetically distinct from Nematocida. Further investigations showed that these microsporidia are diverse in terms of spore size and shape, host tissue tropism, host cell intracellular localization, cellular exit route, host specificity pattern, etc. Overall, these findings illustrate the widespread and diverse microsporidia infections in C. elegans and related nematodes in the wild.We further assayed the natural variation of C. elegans in sensitivity to N. ausubeli infection, by comparing 10 C. elegans strains using food consumption tests. Two C. elegans strains, JU1249 and JU2825, displayed the largest sensitivity differences, which were suggested to be a result of the different tolerance between the two strains. These two strains are proven to be good candidates for future studies on the genetic loci associated with C. elegans sensitivity variation to microsporidian infections. Furthermore, I observed an exciting effect of host-pathogen interaction. Microsporidia infection is able to suppress the progressive decline in fertility in some C. elegans with the mortal germline phenotype (Mrt).

L’ostréiculture, dominée par l’élevage de l’huître creuse Crassostrea gigas, représente plus de 70% du chiffre d’affaire réalisé par l’aquaculture française. Au sein des écosystèmes aquatiques, les bactéries appartenant au genre Vibrio forment l’un des groupes bactériens les plus abondamment représentés. Deux espèces, Vibrio splendidus et Vibrio aestuarianus, sont fréquemment associées et de façon récurrente, à des mortalités sévissant dans les élevages d’huître creuse Crassostrea gigas, le plus souvent en période estivale. Ce travail de thèse avait pour objectifs d’étudier des interactions Vibrio-huître et leurs modulations en fonction de la virulence des pathogènes et des paramètres génétiques et physiologiques de l’hôte. Le développement d’outils de détection et de quantification sensibles et spécifiques et la maîtrise de protocoles d’infection expérimentale à Vibrio ont permis d’explorer des mécanismes de virulence, d’étudier la variabilité de la sensibilité des huîtres à ces Vibrio et de caractériser la pathogenèse. L’étude de la diversité spécifique des souches bactériennes isolées dans un contexte de mortalité estivale sur une large échelle de temps et d’espace a permis de montrer la prédominance épidémiologique du groupe V. splendidus et de l’espèce V. aestuarianus associée aux épisodes de mortalité estivale de C. gigas en France. Une corrélation ayant été observée entre pouvoir pathogène et activité métalloprotéasique, un test phénotypique prédictif de la virulence des souches a été proposé. L’exploration du phénomène de synergie dans la pathogénicité des deux souches observé en co-injection expérimentale a conduit à la mise en évidence de l’existence d’un système de quorum sensing régulant aux niveaux intraspécifique (V. splendidus) et interspécifique (V. splendidus/V. aestuarianus) la production et l’expression au niveau transcriptionnel des gènes codant les métalloprotéases Vsm et Vam des deux souches étudiées. L’analyse statistique des cinétiques de mortalité obtenues chez des familles de demi-frères diploïdes et triploïdes soumises à un protocole de co-infection standardisée révèle une sensibilité accrue des huîtres à cette vibriose expérimentale, en période de gamétogenèse active. Les huîtres triploïdes soumises à cette même infection expérimentale n’ont présenté aucun avantage significatif. L’existence d’une base génétique de la sensibilité des huîtres aux vibrioses expérimentales a été illustrée par l’évaluation des sensibilités de quatorze familles de la cinquième génération (G5) issue du programme de sélection divergente réalisée dans le cadre de MOREST. Cette étude a également permis la description de co-infections à herpès virus OsHV-1 et V. aestuarianus suggérant une multi-étiologie des phénomènes de mortalité estivale. Une étude de pathogenèse à V. splendidus et V. aestuarianus réalisée par cohabitation a visé l’exploration des interactions liant l’huître creuse C. gigas et les Vibrio virulents, V. splendidus et V. aestuarianus, ou non virulents présents naturellement dans la flore endogène de l’hémolymphe ou dans l’eau des aquariums. Cette nouvelle approche a permis de mettre en évidence la rapidité de transmission des Vibrio virulents des huîtres infectées aux huîtres sentinelles en moins de deux heures, accompagnée d’une perturbation significative, précoce et transitoire de la réponse immunitaire de l’hôte au niveau transcriptionnel au cours des six premières heures de cohabitation. La prise en charge différentielle des Vibrio pathogènes et des Vibrio commensaux par l’huître suggère l’existence de mécanismes conduisant à une spécificité des réponses de l’huître visant l’élimination des Vibrio pathogènes et le maintien d’une flore vibrionacée endogène probablement bénéfique pour C. gigas. / Oyster production is the main aquaculture activity in France and is dominated by the rearing of Crassostrea gigas. In the aquatic ecosystems where the species is grown, bacteria of the genus Vibrio are found to be dominant. Two Vibrio species, V. splendidus and V. aestuarianus, are frequently associated with Crassostrea gigas summer mortality episodes. The aims of this work were to study Vibrio-oyster interactions and their modulations according to virulence mechanisms and to genetic and physiological parameters of the host. Using specific, sensitive and quantifying diagnostic tools developed in this study, as well as standardized experimental infection trials, some components of the virulence of Vibrio strains and host susceptibility were delineated and the dynamics of Vibrio infection characterized through pathogenesis studies.The study of the specific diversity of bacterial strains isolated during summer mortality events, on broad temporal and spatial scales, revealed an epidemiological association of the group V. splendidus and the species V. aestuarianus. Because a correlation has been observed between pathogenicity and metalloprotease activity, a predictive phenotypic test of virulence was developed. Exploration of the synergy phenomenon between the pathogenicity of the two strains observed in experimental co-injection led to the characterisation of a system of quorum sensing controlling the production and transcriptional expression of the gene encoding metalloprotease Vsm and Vam at the intraspecific (V. splendidus) and interspecific level (V. splendidus/V. aestuarianus).The statistical analysis of mortality kinetics in half-sib diploid and triploid families subjected to experimental vibriosis by co-infection revealed an increased susceptibility of oysters during the period of active gametogenesis. The triploid oysters subjected to this same experimental infection did not show any significant advantage. The existence of a genetic basis for oyster susceptibility to experimental vibriosis was illustrated by the evaluation of the susceptibilities of fourteen families of the fifth generation (G5) from a program of divergent selection carried out within the MOREST oyster summer mortality research project. This study also allowed the description of co-infections involving the herpes OsHV-1 virus and V. aestuarianus, suggesting multi-etiologic summer mortalities. A pathogenesis study on V. splendidus and V. aestuarianus, performed by cohabitation, was used to explore interactions between C. gigas and pathogenic Vibrio (V. splendidus and V. aestuarianus), or non pathogenic Vibrio found naturally in the endogenous flora of the oyster hemolymph or in the water of the aquaria. This new approach demonstrated a fast transmission of pathogenic Vibrio between infected oysters and sentinels, in less than two hours. Moreover, a significant early and transient disturbance of the defence response of the host was revealed at the transcriptional level during the first six hours of cohabitation. The differential loads of pathogenic and commensal Vibrio in oysters suggest the existence of discriminatory mechanisms, leading to a specificity of the response aiming to eliminate pathogenic Vibrio and maintain a potentially beneficial endogenous bacterial flora in C. gigas.

C. trachomatis est une bactérie Gram-négative intracellulaire obligatoire et un pathogène humain. Première cause de maladie sexuellement transmissible d'origine bactérienne, elle est également responsable, dans les pays en développement, d'infections oculaires pouvant conduire à la cécité (trachome). Son cycle de développement bi-phasique a lieu au sein d'un compartiment appelé inclusion. Grâce à un système de sécrétion de type 3 (SST3), Chlamydia sécrète des protéines dans le cytosol de la cellule afin de promouvoir sa survie et sa multiplication. Ces protéines sont désignées sous le terme d'effecteurs. / C. trachomatis is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria and a human pathogen. It is the most prevalent cause of sexually transmitted diseases of bacterial origin and a leading cause of preventable blindness in the developing world. During their biphasic developmental cycle the bacteria remains in a membrane-bounded cellular compartment called an inclusion. Using a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) they translocate effector proteins inside the cytosol of the cell to promote its survival and multiplication.The aim of the PhD was to study the function of CT622, a hypothetic protein from C. trachomatis. We showed that CT622 is an effector protein from the T3SS and that it is secreted early during the infection. We identified a bacterial protein that binds to CT622, and we showed that it acts as a chaperone, stabilizing CT622 and enhancing its secretion. We obtained bacteria lacking CT622 expression, thus demonstrating that CT622 is not essential for bacterial growth in vitro. However, preliminary studies indicate that in the absence of CT622 bacterial development is delayed and T3SS is defective.We identified several molecules interacting with CT622: geranylgeranyl diphosphate, Rab39 and Atg16L1 proteins. Future work will aim at understanding how these identified interactions, or other bacterial or cellular partners still to be discovered, contribute to the establishment of a niche favorable to bacterial development.

A leishmaniose é um termo global para doenças causadas por parasitos do gênero Leishmania, sendo a Leishmaniose Visceral (LV) a forma mais grave da doença. No Brasil é causada pelo parasita Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi. Para garantir a sua sobrevivência, alguns parasitas são capazes de manipular respostas de defesa das células do sistema imune. Recentes estudos demonstraram a participação da proteína imunomodulatória CD200 durante o processo de infecção de L. (L.) amazonenses. O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar se os parasitos L. (L.) infantum chagasi são capazes de induzir a expressão da proteína CD200 durante o processo infeccioso. Em ensaios de infecção ex vivo, não foi observado proliferação de parasitas intracelulares. Apesar disso, L. (L.) infantum chagasi foi capaz de induzir a expressão do gene CD200. De maneira interessante, diferente de infecções por L. (L.) amazonenses, a indução de CD200 nessas células foi observada em tempos mais tardios de infecção. Ensaios de imunoprecipitação e Western blot indicaram a síntese da proteína, que atingiu os seus maiores níveis a 120 horas pós-infecção. A presença de CD200 sugere o envolvimento dessa molécula em tempos mais tardios de infecção por L. (L.) infantum chagasi. / Leishmaniasis is a global term for diseases caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, and Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) are the most severe form of the disease. In Brazil is caused by the parasite Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi. To ensure their survival, some parasites can handle defensive responses of the cells of the immune system. Recent studies have demonstrated the participation of immunomodulatory protein CD200 during the infection process of L. (L.) amazonenses. This study aimed to investigate whether the parasites L. (L.) infantum chagasi are capable of inducing the expression of CD200 protein during the infectious process. In trials of ex vivo infection, there was no proliferation of intracellular parasites. Nevertheless, L. (L.) infantum chagasi was able to induce the expression of CD200 gene. Interestingly, unlike infection by L. (L.) amazonenses, CD200 induction of these cells was observed at later times in infection. Immunoprecipitation assays and Western blot indicated protein synthesis, which reached their highest levels at 120 hours post-infection. The presence of CD200 suggests the involvement of this molecule at later times of infection with L. (L.) infantum chagasi.

Ixodes ricinus est l’espèce de tique la plus abondante et ayant la plus vaste répartition géographique en Europe. Elle est le vecteur de nombreux agents pathogènes d’importance en santé publique et vétérinaire. Le remplacement des acaricides générant pollution environnementale et apparition croissante de résistances requiert le développement urgent de nouvelles stratégies de lutte efficaces contre les tiques et les agents pathogènes qu’elles transmettent. La découverte de telles stratégies passe nécessairement par une meilleure connaissance des interactions entre les tiques, leurs hôtes et les agents pathogènes transmis. La salive de tique, à l’interface de ces interactions, est un fluide essentiel pour ces arthropodes et possède notamment des propriétés protéolytiques, anticoagulantes, immunomodulatrices, analgésique, et anti-inflammatoires qui permettent à la tique de réaliser ses repas sanguins extrêmement longs. Afin de comprendre les mécanismes moléculaires impliqués dans la transmission des agents pathogènes et pour identifier de possibles candidats vaccinaux contre I. ricinus, une étude transcriptomique comparative entre des glandes salivaires infectées et non infectées par la bactérie Bartonella henselae a été antérieurement réalisée. Le transcrit le plus surexprimé suite à cette infection était IrSPI, un inhibiteur de sérine protéase de la famille des Kunitz. Les analyses fonctionnelles par ARN interférence ont montré l’implication de ce gène dans le gorgement et de l’infection des glandes salivaires par B. henselae. Ainsi, les travaux de thèse présentés ici ont concerné l’analyse structurelle, biochimique et fonctionnelle de IrSPI en tant que molécule impliquée dans les interactions tick-hôte-pathogène. Le premier objectif était de définir la structure et la séquence du gène IrSPI mais, malheureusement, bien que nos résultats aient permit des avancés sur cette question, nous n'avons pu obtenir la totalité de sa séquence. Dans un second temps, la dynamique d’expression d’IrSPI a été évaluée au cours du gorgement et de l’infection des tiques par différents agents pathogènes, montrant que son expression est induite par le repas sanguin, par des agents transmis par la tique mais pas par Escherichia coli, bactérie non transmise. De plus, nos résultats ont montré l’expression de IrSPI dans plusieurs organes de la tique, suggérant son implication dans diverses fonctions au sein de ce vecteur. Parmi elles, la mise en évidence d'une injection, par la salive, de la protéine à l'hôte vertébré nous a permis d'envisager un rôle sur les réponses de l'hôte à la piqûre de tique. Nos résultats n’ont montré aucune implication dans la voie extrinsèque de la coagulation ni dans la fibrinolyse, ni dans l’angiogenèse. En revanche, ils ont démontré que IrSPI inhibe la prolifération des lymphocytes TCD4+ sous stimulation monogénique quand chez des lymphocytes B non stimulés IRSPI, il induit une hausse de la prolifération. De plus IrSPI a montré une action négative significative sur la production de la majorité des cytokines et chimiokines pro-inflammatoires produites par les macrophages et les splénocytes. Ainsi, IrSPI, correspond à un des composants salivaires d’I. ricinus lui permettant de moduler la réponse immune de l’hôte pour lui permettre de prélever son repas sanguin tout en favorisant la transmission des agents pathogènes. Enfin, des résultats préliminaires dans l'identification des interactants de IrSPI à la fois chez la tique et l’hôte vertébré ouvre de nombreuses voies de recherche quant à la compréhension de ses fonctions. / Ixodes ricinus tick species, the most abundant and widespread tick in Europe, is an important vector of pathogens affecting both animal and human health. To replace the use of acaricides that generate environmental contamination and resistances, new environmentally sustainable approaches providing broad protection against ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBP) are urgently needed. Such development requires improved understanding of the biology of ticks and more particularly of their interactions with vertebrate hosts and TBP. Tick saliva is an essential biofluid for ticks, as its proteolytic, anticoagulant, immunomodulatory, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities allow ticks to acquire their blood meal under optimal conditions. Moreover, injection of saliva during blood feeding represents the principal route by which TBP are transmitted to the host. To understand the molecular mechanisms involved in TBP transmission, as well as to identify putative vaccine candidates against I. ricinus, salivary glands from bacteria infected and uninfected ticks were previously compared by high throughput transcriptomics. The most up-regulated transcript following infection was IrSPI, which belongs to the Kunitz/BPTI inhibitor family. Functional analyses via RNAi knockdown experiments revealed that IrSPI enhances both blood feeding and bacterial burden in the salivary glands. This present PhD work concerns then the structural, biochemical and functional characterization of IrSPI as a molecule involved in tick-host-pathogen interactions. Our aim was first to define the structure of IrSPI gene but, unfortunately, while our results have led to progress on this issue, we have not been able to get the full sequence. Then, the dynamic of IrSPI expression was evaluated during both tick feeding and colonization of ticks by pathogens, showing that its expression is induced by blood feeding and TBP but not by Escherichia coli that is not transmitted by I. ricinus. In addition, our results shown the expression of IrSPI in several tick organs, suggesting its implication in several functions in tick physiology. Among them, the discovery of the injection of IrSPI, through the saliva, to the vertebrate host allowed us to consider a role in host responses to tick bite. Evaluation of IrSPI effect on host showed no impact on coagulation through extrinsic pathway, as determined by analysis of thrombin generation time and by fibrinolysis, or in angiogenesis. However, it inhibited the proliferation of mitogen-stimulated CD4+ lymphocytes and increased unstimulated-B cell proliferation. In addition, IrSPI also modulated cytokine production from macrophages and splenocytes, repressing significantly most of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Thus, we demonstrated that IrSPI plays a role in modulating the host immune response during blood feeding. Finally, preliminary results in the identification of the protein’s interactants open many research perspectives for understanding how IrSPI acts in tick physiology and counteracts host responses to tick injury and pathogen transmission.

P. aeruginosa est l'un des principaux pathogènes responsables d'infections nosocomiales. Les infections aiguës à cette bactérie sont associées à une morbidité et une mortalité élevées, notamment lorsque ces bactéries envahissent le système sanguin. Dans la majorité des cas, ces infections du sang sont la conséquence du franchissement par P. aeruginosa de deux barrières tissulaires: l'épithélium pour les muqueuses et l'endothélium pour les vaisseaux. Bien que ces évènements soient des étapes cruciales de la dissémination systémique des bactéries, les mécanismes permettant la pénétration du pathogène dans l'organisme sont à ce jour mal compris. Pour l'endothélium, nous démontrons que P. aeruginosa induit le clivage de la VE-cadhérine, une protéine des jonctions intercellulaires, par l'action de la protéase LasB sécrétée par les bactéries. Le clivage de la VE-cadhérine entraîne une perte d'intégrité de l'endothélium, permettant aux bactéries d'accéder au domaine basolatéral des cellules. Les toxines du Système de Sécrétion de Type 3 peuvent être alors injectées dans la cellule, provoquant une intoxication cellulaire majeure. Le franchissement de la barrière épithéliale s'opère par un mécanisme très différent. Par microscopie confocale en temps réel, nous montrons que P. aeruginosa transmigre par une voie paracellulaire, en exploitant des faiblesses jonctionnelles aux sites de divisions et de morts cellulaires. Ce processus de transmigration requiert l'action coordonnée des pili de Type IV, du flagelle et de toxines du Système de Sécrétion de Type 3. / P. aeruginosa is one of the main pathogens responsible for nosocomial infections. Acute infections by this bacterium are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially when bacteria disseminate in the bloodstream. In most situations, blood infection is the consequence of the crossing of two essential tissue barriers by P. aeruginosa: the epithelium for the mucosa and the endothelium for the blood vessel. Although these events are critical steps for systemic spread of bacteria, the mechanisms involved in the penetration of the pathogen in the organism are poorly understood. For the endothelium, we demonstrate that P. aeruginosa induces the cleavage of VE-cadherin, a protein of endothelial junctions, by the action of LasB, a protease secreted by the bacteria. VE-cadherin cleavage induces a loss of integrity of the endothelium, allowing bacterial access to the cellular basolateral domain. Once in this location, the Type 3 secretion system may inject toxins into the cell, triggering a major intoxication process. Crossing of the epithelial barrier involves a very different mechanism. Using real-time confocal microscopy, we show that P. aeruginosa uses a paracellular route to transmigrate, exploiting junctional weaknesses at sites of cell division and cell death. This transmigration process requires the coordinate actions of Type IV pili, the flagellum and toxins of the Type 3 secretion system.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, une bactérie à Gram négatif responsable d'infections nosocomiales, possède de nombreux facteurs de virulence lui permettant d'infecter ses hôtes. En particulier, le Système de Sécrétion de Type III (SST3) lui permet d'injecter des effecteurs directement dans le cytoplasme de la cellule cible eucaryote. Durant cette thèse, deux protéines du SST3 de P. aeruginosa ont été étudiées : l'ATPase PscN et la protéine ExsB. Plusieurs approches ont été utilisées afin d'étudier l'ATPase PscN, indispensable à l'activité du SST3. Des mutations ponctuelles réalisées dans PscN conduisent à des souches de P. aeruginosa non cytotoxiques, et cet effet est dominant négatif. Une autre approche a permis l'obtention de fractions partiellement purifiées de l'ATPase PscN active, sous forme de grands complexes visualisés en microscopie électronique. Ces fractions contiennent également d'autres protéines du SST3, qui pourraient être des partenaires de PscN. La protéine ExsB a été caractérisée pour la première fois. Après avoir vérifié son expression chez P. aeruginosa, son association à la membrane externe de la bactérie a été démontrée. Son rôle a ensuite été étudié par une analyse du phénotype d'une souche de P. aeruginosa dépourvue du gène exsB. Nous n'avons pas identifié d'activité de ExsB dans la régulation du SST3. Après avoir constaté l'implication de ExsB dans la virulence de la bactérie dans des modèles d'infections aiguës chez les animaux, son rôle dans l'activité du SST3 a été établi. Nous avons enfin pu montrer que ExsB a une activité de pilotine, car elle participe à l'assemblage de la sécrétine, le composant de la membrane externe du SST3. / Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram negative bacterium responsible for nosocomial infections, exhibits numerous virulence factors to infect its hosts. In particular, the Type III Secretion System (T3SS) allows the injection of effectors directly into the host cell cytoplasm. This work focuses on the study of two proteins from the T3SS of P. aeruginosa: the ATPase PscN and the ExsB protein. Several approaches were used to study the ATPase PscN, an enzyme essential for T3SS activity. Site-directed mutations, made on PscN, lead to non cytotoxic strains, and this effect is dominant negative. Another approach allowed the partial purification of active PscN, visualized as large complexes by electron microscopy. These partially purified samples also contain other T3SS proteins, which could interact with PscN. The ExsB protein was characterized for the first time. After checking its expression in P. aeruginosa, its association with the outer membrane was shown. The phenotypic analysis of a strain lacking exsB gene gave insights into the role of this protein. We did not identified any function of ExsB in the T3SS regulation. After showing the involvement of ExsB in the bacterial virulence during acute animal infections, ExsB role in T3SS activity was established. Finally, we showed that ExsB has a pilotin activity as it participates in the assembly of the secretin, the outer membrane component of T3SS.

Submitted by DIEGO FELIPE ALVES BATISTA null (diegofelipe_vet@hotmail.com) on 2017-07-23T15:53:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese final.pdf: 4005234 bytes, checksum: 457b822652d4193c9c8e25953f4d3dc1 (MD5) / Rejected by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com), reason: Solicitamos que realize uma nova submissão seguindo a orientação abaixo: Incluir o número do processo de financiamento FAPESP nos agradecimentos da dissertação/tese. Corrija esta informação e realize uma nova submissão com o arquivo correto. Agradecemos a compreensão. on 2017-07-26T13:34:20Z (GMT) / Submitted by DIEGO FELIPE ALVES BATISTA null (diegofelipe_vet@hotmail.com) on 2017-07-26T14:07:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Diego_Felipe_Alves_Batista.pdf: 4004591 bytes, checksum: 1de74c2da3ba5ba3e56c6bcf6f9ba6f2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-07-26T19:26:28Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 batista_dfa_dr_jabo.pdf: 4004591 bytes, checksum: 1de74c2da3ba5ba3e56c6bcf6f9ba6f2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-26T19:26:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 batista_dfa_dr_jabo.pdf: 4004591 bytes, checksum: 1de74c2da3ba5ba3e56c6bcf6f9ba6f2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-04 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O tifo aviário, causado por Salmonella Gallinarum biotipo Gallinarum, é uma infecção caracterizada pela alta mortalidade nos lotes de aves suscetíveis acometidos, enquanto S. Gallinarum biotipo Pullorum, o agente da pulorose, infecta as aves de produção industrial com as quais desenvolve relação mais branda. Ainda é escasso o conhecimento sobre os mecanismos moleculares que sustentam essas diferentes interações patógeno-hospedeiro. Nesse estudo, objetivou-se investigar o efeito de deleção parcial das sequências codificantes dos genes idnT (transportador de L-idonato ou D-gluconato), idnO (5-cetogluconato redutase) e ccmH (heme liase necessária na montagem de citocromos do tipo C) sobre a patogenicidade de S. Gallinarum 287/91 (SG287/91), uma vez que seus ortólogos são pseudogenes conservados em S. Pullorum. Os clones mutantes SG∆idnTO, SG∆ccmH e SG∆ccmHidnTO foram obtidos por meio da técnica de mutação sítio-dirigida, denominada de recombinação Lambda-Red e testados em dois experimentos independentes com aves comerciais semipesadas de postura suscetíveis ao tifo aviário. No 1º experimento não se observou alteração da patogenicidade dos clones mutantes após inoculação oral, pois todos os animais infectados desenvolveram sinais clínicos típicos do tifo aviário e vieram a óbito ao longo de 12 dias pós-infecção (dpi). Apesar dos 100% de mortalidade, as infecções desenvolvidas pelos clones SG∆idnTO e SG∆ccmHidnTO levaram os animais a óbito dentro de 48 horas desde o aparecimento dos sinais clínicos, enquanto SG287/91 o fez em 6 dias, sugerindo aumento da virulência dos clones mutantes. No 2º experimento observou-se que as mutantes invadiram o hospedeiro a partir do intestino, embora as quantidades recuperadas de SG∆idnTO e SG∆ccmHidnTO nos fígados e de SG∆idnTO nos baços, no 5º dpi, foram superiores a de SG287/91, reforçando a hipótese de aumento da virulência dos clones contendo a alteração idnTO. Apesar disso, os níveis de transcrição das citocinas CXCLi2 e IL6 produzidos à infecção por SG∆idnTO e SG∆ccmHidnTO não diferiram nas tonsilas cecais nos 1º e 3º dpi e nos baços no 3º dpi em relação à infecção por SG287/91. Somente SG∆ccmH inclinou-se a estimular a transcrição de CXCLi2 e IL6 nas tonsilas cecais no 1° dpi em relação ao grupo controle, enquanto SG287/91 tendeu a suprimi-la. Porém, não houve suporte estatístico para essa observação. Os níveis de mRNA do IFNγ estavam aumentados para todas as estirpes de S. Gallinarum, mutantes ou não, porém sem diferença estatística entre eles. Os resultados do presente estudo indicam que a ruptura nos genes idnTO, e em menor grau do gene ccmH, poderiam levar a perda de “fitness” em S. Gallinarum, lhes justificando a permanência no genoma desse micro-organismo, ao contrário do que ocorre com S. Pullorum. O estudo da patogenicidade de estirpe de S. Pullorum tendo reconstituídos os genes idnTO e ccmH no seu genoma poderia esclarecer os motivos pelos quais esses foram negativamente selecionados por esse micro-organismo. / Fowl typhoid, caused by Salmonella Gallinarum biovar Gallinarum, is an infectious disease which elicits high mortality into a flock of susceptible birds whereas S. Gallinarum biovar Pullorum, the aetiological agent of pullorum disease, infects poultry of commercial importance with which such a bacterium sets off a more permissive host-pathogen interaction. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms driving these distinct interplays with the host. Herein, we aimed at investigating the effect of partial deletions in the idnT (L-idonate / D-gluconate transporter), idnO (5-ketogluconase reductase) and ccmH (heme liase involved in the c-type cytochrome maturation) coding sequences on S. Gallinarum 287/91 (SG287/91) pathogenicity since they are conserved pseudogenes in S. Pullorum genomes. SG∆idnTO, SG∆ccmH and SG∆ccmHidnTO mutant strains were constructed through a one-step inactivation technique, known as Lambda-Red-mediated recombination, and tested on two independent experiments by using a commercial brown egg-producing layer line susceptible to fowl typhoid. On the experiment 1, no changing was observed in the pathogenicity of the mutant strains upon oral inoculation as the infected animals developed typical fowl typhoid clinical signs and died along 12 days post-infection (dpi). In spite of causing 100% mortality, SG∆idnTO and SG∆ccmHidnTO killed all the animals within 48 hours since the clinical signs appearance while SG287/91 did so in 6 days, indicating an increased virulence by these mutant strains. On the experiment 2 every mutant strain were able to invade the host system from the intestine albeit SG∆idnTO and SG∆ccmHidnTO were recovered from livers and SG∆idnTO alone from spleens at higher numbers than was SG287/91, supporting the hypothesis of increased virulence for those clones harbouring the idnTO mutation. Despite the results above, CXCLi2 and IL6 transcription levels during infection by SG∆idnTO and SG∆ccmHidnTO were similar to that induced by SG287/91 in caecal tonsils at 1 and 3 dpi and in spleens at 3 dpi. In contrast, SG∆ccmH trended to stimulate CXCLi2 and IL6 transcription in caecal tonsils at 1 dpi when compared to the negative, control group whereas SG287/91 tended to suppress it, but no statistical significance was found for such an observation. IFNγ mRNA were augmented for all S. Gallinarum strains, mutant or not, but without statistical difference amongst them. These findings indicate that gene decay into idnTO, and at a lesser extent, into ccmH sequences might lead to the loss of fitness by S. Gallinarum, raising an explanation for their maintenance on this bacterium chromosome when the opposite happens to S. Pullorum. Studying the pathogenicity of a S. Pullorum strain possessing both the idnTO and ccmH genes in its genome could bring to light the reasons whereby such genes were negatively selected by this microorganism. / FAPESP: 2013/22920-4 / FAPESP: 2013/26127-7