Yersinia pseudotuberculosis appartient à la famille des Enterobacteriaceae et peut être responsable de syndromes articulaires et digestifs. Au cours de la colonisation de l’hôte, une minorité des bactéries va, en plus de l’étape de multiplication extracellulaire présenter une phase de réplication intracellulaire dans les macrophages. Une partie des Y. pseudotuberculosis va se répliquer dans les macrophages en usurpant la voie de l’autophagie, afin de créer une niche réplicative au sein des autophagosomes bloqués dans leur maturation. Le trafic membranaire associé à l’infection de Y. pseudotuberculosis reste à ce jour peu caractérisé. Dans un premier temps, nous avons observé que lors de l’infection d’une cellule épithéliale par Y. pseudotuberculosis, la vacuole bactérienne est associée avec le marqueur des autophagosomes, la protéine LC3 mais de façon surprenante cette vacuole ne présente pas deux mais une membrane unique. Par ailleurs, nous avons montré que les protéines SNARE jouent un rôle majeur au cours du trafic intracellulaire de Y. pseudotuberculosis. VAMP3 et VAMP7 sont recrutées de manière séquentielle au niveau de la vacuole de Y. pseudotuberuclosis. VAMP7 va participer au recrutement de LC3 au niveau de la vacuole bactérienne et nous proposons que VAMP3 est un des constituants du check-point permettant l’adressage de la bactérie vers des vacuoles présentant une ou de multiple membranes positives pour LC3. Par la suite, nous nous sommes intéressés à la caractérisation des protéines de la voie autophagique et des endosomes, recrutées au niveau de la vacuole bactérienne à membrane unique et positive pour LC3. Nous avons mis en évidence que les protéines impliquées dans la formation de l’autophagosome et les marqueurs des endosomes précoces sont recrutées au niveau de la vacuole contenant Y. pseudotuberculosis. Cette vacuole positive pour LC3 va en suite acquérir les marqueurs des endosomes tardifs et du lysosome mais n’est pas acidifiée. En outre, nous avons initié des travaux sur un criblage en haut contenu afin d’identifier les partenaires des protéines SNARE et leurs rôles dans le trafic intracellulaire de Y. pseudotuberuclosis. Ces travaux démontrent l’importance de l’analyse de l’ultrastructure des compartiments positifs pour LC3. Ils illustrent comment la bactérie s’adapte à son environnement pour établir sa niche réplicative. Ils présentent enfin l’importance de la régulation de l’autophagie avec la première mise en évidence d’un check-point entre deux voies de compartimentation positives pour LC3 mais morphologiquement différentes. / Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family. In human, Y. pseudotuberculosis infection is responsible for enteric and, in rare cases, erythema nodosum. During host colonization, a minor part of Y. pseudotuberculosis presents an intracellular replication step. Y. pseudotuberculosis can replicate inside macrophages by hijacking the autophagy pathway. The bacteria are able to block autophagosome maturation by acidification impairment, which allows to create a replicative niche. The membrane traffic during internalization of Yersinia remains poorly characterized. First, we highlighted that in epithelial cells, Y. pseudotuberculosis replicates mainly in vacuoles positive for LC3, a hallmark of autophagy. Surprisingly, this LC3-positive-vacuole presents only single limiting membrane. Second, we showed that SNARE proteins play a role in Y. pseudotuberculosis intracellular traffic. VAMP3 and VAMP7 are sequentially recruited to Yersinia-containing vacuoles (YCVs). VAMP7 is involved in the LC3 recruitment to YCVs with single- and double-membrane. We proposed that VAMP3 is a component of the molecular checkpoint for bacterial commitment to either single- or double-membrane LC3-positive pathway. Third, we characterized the traffic of endosomal proteins recruited to LC3-positive-YCV with single membrane in epithelial cells. We showed that markers of early endosome and proteins involved in autophagosome formation, are recruited to YCVs during the early stage of infection. Then, the vacuole acquire late endosomal and lysosomal proteins but acidification is not observed. Finally, we initiated a high-content screening approach for the identification of SNARE partners.Overall this work illustrates the importance of LC3-positive compartment ultrastructure analysis. Our result demonstrate how bacterial subvert the molecular machinery of the host in order to create a replicative niche. Finally, we present the importance of autophagy regulation by highlighting for the first times the existence of a molecular checkpoint between two LC3-positive vacuoles with different morphologies

Orientador: Iracilda Zeppone Carlos / Banca: Juliana Pfrimer Falcão / Banca: Orivaldo Pereira Ramos / Banca: Fernanda de Freitas Aníbal / Banca: Alexandra Ivo de Medeiros / Resumo: A infecção por Y. pseudotuberculosis é uma causa de doenças intestinais e extraintestinais. A resolução da infecção está relacionada à ativação de células Th1, entretanto, pouco se conhece sobre a influência de outras subpopulações de linfócitos T, como Th17 e Treg, na regulação dessa infecção. Células dendríticas são capazes de orientar a resposta imune adaptativa através da produção de citocinas e apresentação de antígenos às células T, tornando essas células essenciais na ativação e diferenciação de linfócitos T. Desse modo, o presente trabalho avaliou o papel de distintas subpopulações de linfócitos T e a influência de células dendríticas no desenvolvimento da resposta imune contra a infecção por Y. pseudotuberculosis. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as subpopulações de linfócitos T CD4+, CD8+ e Foxp3+, presentes durante a infecção por Y. pseudotuberculosis e amostras bacterianas mutantes para fatores de virulência Yops, bem como a expressão de citocinas intracelulares (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α e TGF-β) por estas células. O papel de linfócitos Treg e Th17 no controle da bactéria foi analisado por meio de ensaio de depleção de células CD25+ e neutralização de IL-17. Além disso, a influência de células dendríticas na modulação da resposta imune contra Y. pseudotuberculosis foi estudada através da determinação da produção de citocinas (IL-6, IL-12, IL-10, IL-23, TNF-α e TGF-β) e co-cultivo com linfócitos T obtidos de animais imunizados com antígenos de Y. pseudotuberculosis. Os resultados mostraram redução na produção de citocinas pró-inflamatórias por células dendríticas infectadas com a amostra bacteriana portadora do plasmídeo de virulência, em ambas as linhagens de camundongos estudadas... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Y. pseudotuberculosis infection is a cause of intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Infection resolution is related to the activation of Th1 cells, however, little is known about the influence of other T cells subsets, like Th17 and Treg, in the control of this infection. Dendritic cells are capable of directing the adaptive immune response by producing cytokines and presenting antigens to T cells, making them essential to T lymphocytes activation and differentiation. Thus, this study evaluated the role of different T lymphocytes subsets and the influence of dendritic cells on the development of the immune response against Y. pseudotuberculosis infection. Here, we evaluated the T cells subsets CD4+, CD8+ and Foxp3+, present during Y. pseudotuberculosis infection and mutant samples bacterial virulence factors, and also the intracellular expression of cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α and TGF-β) by these cells. The role of Th17 and Treg cells in controlling the bacteria was analyzed by tests of depleted CD25+ cells and IL-17 neutralization. Furthermore, the influence of dendritic cells in modulating the immune response against Y. pseudotuberculosis was studied by determining the cytokine production (IL-6, IL-12, IL-10, IL-23, TNF-α and TGF-β) and co-culture with lymphocytes from animals immunized with Y. pseudotuberculosis antigens. The results showed a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines production by dendritic cells infected with bacteria carrying the bacterial virulence plasmid, in both mice strains studied... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

The enteropathogenic bacterium Yersinia pseudotuberculosis binds to β1 integrins on a host cell via its surface protein invasin. This event stimulates signal transduction to the actin cytoskeleton of the eukaryotic cell, which allows the cell to engulf the bacterium that is attached to its surface. However, the pathogen Y. pseudotuberculosis can evade such phagocytosis by injecting virulence effectors that interfere with the antipathogenic machinery of the host cells. One of these virulence effectors is the tyrosine phosphatase YopH. Through its enzymatic activity, YopH blocks phagocytosis by affecting the signalling that is associated with cytoskeletal rearrangements. Cas is a substrate of YopH in both professional and non-professional phagocytes. We showed that YopH binds to the central substrate domain of Cas and that this interaction is required for YopH to target focal adhesion structures in host cells. We also demonstrated that YopH binds another substrate, FAK, through Cas. Moreover, we suggested that targeting of Cas is necessary for the cytotoxic effects mediated by YopH. The protein Fyb is specific to immune cells, and it has been identified as a substrate of YopH in macrophages. We discovered that both the N-terminal substrate-binding domain and the C-terminal catalytic region of YopH bind Fyb in a phosphotyrosine-dependent manner. Moreover, we observed that both the substrate-binding domain and the phosphatase activity of YopH are essential for the effects of this protein on macrophages, which include dephosphorylation of Fyb, blocking of phagocytosis, and cytotoxicity. The role of Fyb in macrophages is largely unknown, although there is evidence that this protein is involved in integrin-linked actin organization. We identified a novel interaction partner of Fyb, mAbp1, which is a protein that binds to F-actin. Studies in vitro indicated that mAbp1 binds to the N terminus of Fyb via a C-terminal SH3 domain. We also found that both Fyb and mAbp1 co-localize with F-actin at the leading edges of macrophages. Further studies suggested that mAbp1 influences the spreading of macrophages and the antiphagocytosis mediated by pathogenic Yersinia. These results support a role for Fyb in signalling that affects F-actin dynamics, and they also provide additional insight into the mechanisms involved. Fyb has been shown to form a complex with SKAP-HOM, another substrate of YopH in macrophages. Our data implied that the level of SKAP-HOM protein depends on the presence of Fyb, but the function of the Fyb/SKAP-HOM complex in macrophages has not been determined. However, since Fyb is the only known haematopoietic-specific substrate of YopH, it is possible that Fyb is involved in other antimicrobial functions.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-07-23Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:30:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 tansini_a_me_arafcf.pdf: 1446439 bytes, checksum: 2d298f3950fa8afa956b4ee972cd76f4 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / A infecção por Y. pseudotuberculosis é a causa de doenças intestinais e extraintestinais. A resolução da infecção está relacionada com a ativação de células Th1. Macrófagos e células dendríticas são capazes de orientar a resposta imune adaptativa através da produção de citocinas e apresentação de antígenos às células T. Estas células metabolizam L-arginina por duas vias, utilizando as enzimas iNOS ou arginase. O metabolismo de L-arginina é um importante parâmetro para discriminar o estado de ativação destas células. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a influência da infecção por Y. pseudotuberculosis sobre o comportamento de macrófagos e células dendríticas de camundongos resistentes (C57BL/6) e suscetíveis (BALB/c). Macrófagos peritoneais e células dendríticas esplênicas foram obtidos em 12 horas, 1º, 3º e 5º dias pós-infecção, cultivados, e foi determinada a produção de NO, atividade da arginase, produção de citocinas e capacidade imunoestimulatória destas células. Durante a infecção, macrófagos e células dendríticas de camundongos C57BL/6 infectados produziram quantidade maiores de NO, IL-12 e TNF- , enquanto as células de camundongos BALB/c infectados apresentaram maior atividade da arginase e produção de IL-10. A infecção provocou uma diminuição na capacidade de estimulação de macrófagos e células dendríticas, com menor proliferação de células T nos camundongos BALB/c. Estes resultados sugerem que os mecanismos responsáveis pela resistência e suscetibilidade à infecção podem estar relacionados com diferenças no estado de ativação de macrófagos e células dendríticas. / Y. pseudotuberculosis infection is the cause of intestinal or extraintestinal diseases. The resolution of infection is connected with activation of Th1 cells. Macrophages and dendritic cells are able to orient the adaptive immune response through the production of cytokines and antigen presentation to T-cells. These cells metabolize L-arginine by two pathways, using the iNOS or arginase enzymes. L-arginine metabolism is an important parameter to discriminate the activate state of these cells. The objective of this study was to verify the influence of Y. pseudotuberculosis infection on the behavior of macrophages and dendritic cells from susceptible (BALB/c) and resistant (C57BL/6) mice. Peritoneal macrophages and splenic dendritic cells were obtained on the 12 h, 1st, 3rd, 5th day post-infection, cultured, and the NO production, arginase activity, cytokines production and immunostimulatory capacity of these cells was determined. During the infection, macrophages and dendritic cells from infected C57BL/6 mice produced higher amounts of NO, IL-12 and TNF- , while the cells from infected BALB/c mice presented higher arginase activity and IL-10 production. The infection leads to a decrease in the immunostimulatory capacity of macrophages and dendritic cells, with T-cell proliferation smaller in the BALB/c mice. These results suggest that mechanisms responsible for the resistance and susceptibility to infection may be connect with differences in the activation state of macrophages and dendritic cells.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-04-19Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:43:15Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 tansini_a_dr_arafcf.pdf: 666076 bytes, checksum: 4a336ba4a2f0d99a602646cc539929be (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / A infecção por Y. pseudotuberculosis é uma causa de doenças intestinais e extraintestinais. A resolução da infecção está relacionada à ativação de células Th1, entretanto, pouco se conhece sobre a influência de outras subpopulações de linfócitos T, como Th17 e Treg, na regulação dessa infecção. Células dendríticas são capazes de orientar a resposta imune adaptativa através da produção de citocinas e apresentação de antígenos às células T, tornando essas células essenciais na ativação e diferenciação de linfócitos T. Desse modo, o presente trabalho avaliou o papel de distintas subpopulações de linfócitos T e a influência de células dendríticas no desenvolvimento da resposta imune contra a infecção por Y. pseudotuberculosis. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as subpopulações de linfócitos T CD4+, CD8+ e Foxp3+, presentes durante a infecção por Y. pseudotuberculosis e amostras bacterianas mutantes para fatores de virulência Yops, bem como a expressão de citocinas intracelulares (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α e TGF-β) por estas células. O papel de linfócitos Treg e Th17 no controle da bactéria foi analisado por meio de ensaio de depleção de células CD25+ e neutralização de IL-17. Além disso, a influência de células dendríticas na modulação da resposta imune contra Y. pseudotuberculosis foi estudada através da determinação da produção de citocinas (IL-6, IL-12, IL-10, IL-23, TNF-α e TGF-β) e co-cultivo com linfócitos T obtidos de animais imunizados com antígenos de Y. pseudotuberculosis. Os resultados mostraram redução na produção de citocinas pró-inflamatórias por células dendríticas infectadas com a amostra bacteriana portadora do plasmídeo de virulência, em ambas as linhagens de camundongos estudadas... / Y. pseudotuberculosis infection is a cause of intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Infection resolution is related to the activation of Th1 cells, however, little is known about the influence of other T cells subsets, like Th17 and Treg, in the control of this infection. Dendritic cells are capable of directing the adaptive immune response by producing cytokines and presenting antigens to T cells, making them essential to T lymphocytes activation and differentiation. Thus, this study evaluated the role of different T lymphocytes subsets and the influence of dendritic cells on the development of the immune response against Y. pseudotuberculosis infection. Here, we evaluated the T cells subsets CD4+, CD8+ and Foxp3+, present during Y. pseudotuberculosis infection and mutant samples bacterial virulence factors, and also the intracellular expression of cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α and TGF-β) by these cells. The role of Th17 and Treg cells in controlling the bacteria was analyzed by tests of depleted CD25+ cells and IL-17 neutralization. Furthermore, the influence of dendritic cells in modulating the immune response against Y. pseudotuberculosis was studied by determining the cytokine production (IL-6, IL-12, IL-10, IL-23, TNF-α and TGF-β) and co-culture with lymphocytes from animals immunized with Y. pseudotuberculosis antigens. The results showed a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines production by dendritic cells infected with bacteria carrying the bacterial virulence plasmid, in both mice strains studied... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-01-20Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:04:28Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ramos_op_dr_arafcf.pdf: 948525 bytes, checksum: 0581866624e7c3f57ffffca838856184 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Yersinia pseudotuberculosis e Y. enterocolitica são patógenos que causam desordens gastrintestinais. Estudos utilizando infecção in vitro demonstraram que Y. enterocolitica pode ter como alvo as células dendríticas (DCs), afetando várias de suas funções, incluindo sua maturação e produção de citocinas, e, conseqüentemente, contribuindo para a diminuição da ativação de células T CD4+. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o papel das células dendríticas das placas de Peyer (PP) na determinação do padrão de resposta imune, Th1 e Th2, durante a infecção por via intragástrica de camundongos suscetíveis (BALB/c) e resistentes (C57BL/6) com a amostra virulenta de Y. pseudotuberculosis (YpIII pIB1 – Yp+) ou seu par isogênico, curado do plasmídeo de virulência (YpIII – Yp-). As DCs das PP foram obtidas no 1°, 3° e 5° dia pós-infecção, quantificadas e analisadas quanto às suas subpopulações, expressões de moléculas de superfície e capacidade imunoestimulatória por citometria de fluxo, e quanto à secreção de citocinas (IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 e TNF-α) por ELISA. Os linfócitos das PP também foram obtidos no mesmo período e tiveram suas sub-populações e o padrão de citocinas intracelulares Th1/Th2 (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 e IFN-γ) analisado por citometria de fluxo. A infecção por Yp+ reduziu o número de DCs no 1° dia pós-infecção e aumentou, no período inicial, a expressão de B7.1 e B7.2 nos camundongos BALB/c. Nos camundongos C57BL/6 reduziu o número de DCs durante todo o período analisado, aumentou a expressão de B7.1 e B7.2 no período inicial e a expressão de ICAM-1. A infecção por ambas as amostras provocou redução da sub-população CD8α+ e da expressão de MHC II nas duas linhagens de animais, aumentou a sub-população CD11b+ nos animais suscetíveis e diminuiu nos animais resistentes. Os animais estudados não apresentaram... / Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica are pathogens that cause gastrointestinal disorders. Studies using in vitro infection demonstrated that Y. enterocolitica can have as a target dendritic cells (DCs), affecting several of its functions, including their maturation and production of cytokines, and, consequently, contributing to the diminished activation of the T CD4+ cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of dendritic cell from Peyer’s patches (PP) in determining of immune response pattern, Th1 and Th2, during infection by the intragastric route in susceptible (BALB/c) and resistant (C57BL/6) mice with a virulent sample of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (YpIII pIB1 – Yp+) or its isogenic pair, cured of the virulence plasmid (YpIII – Yp-). The PP DCs were obtained on the 1st, 3rd and 5th days postinfection, quantified and analyzed as far as their subpopulations, expressions of surface molecules and immunostimulatory capacity by flow cytometry, and the cytokines secretion (IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and TNF-α) by ELISA. The PP lymphocytes were also obtained in the same period, and had their subpopulations and the pattern of intracellular Th1/Th2 cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ) analysed by flow cytometry. The infection by Yp+ reduced the number of DCs on the 1st day post-infection and increased, in the initial period, the expression of B7.1 and B7.2 in BALB/c. In C57BL/6 mice reduced the number of DCs throughout the study period, increased the expression of B7.1 and B7.2 in the initial period and the expression of ICAM-1. The infection by both samples reduced CD8α+ subpopulation and expression of MHC II in both animals, increased CD11b+ sub-population in susceptible animals and reduced the same sub-population in resistant animals. The studied animals did not present important differences as far as secretion of cytokines by the DCs of PP and both... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Beatriz Maria Machado de Medeiros / Banca: Alexandrina Sartori / Banca: Cleni Mara Marchocchi Machado / Banca: Leonilda Maria Barbosa dos Santos / Banca: Phileno Pinge Filho / Resumo: As três espécies patogênicas do gênero Yersinia, Y. pestis, Y. enterocolitica e Y. pseudotuberculosis, compartilham um tropismo pelos tecidos linfóides e um plasmídeo de 70-kb que é essencial para a virulência. O plasmídeo codifica um sistema de secreção do tipo III e proteínas efetoras chamadas Yops (Yersinia outer proteins). Este sistema de secreção é responsável por translocar as Yops para dentro das células do hospedeiro, onde elas interagem com alvos específicos e alteram as funções destas células. As Yops são capazes de modular a resposta imune do hospedeiro, permitindo à bactéria se replicar extracelularmente nos tecidos e órgãos linfóides. Embora haja muita informação sobre os mecanismos usados pela Yersinia para evadir do sistema imune inato de defesa, pouco se sabe sobre como ela afeta a resposta imune adaptativa in vivo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a influência das Yops E, H e M, translocadas pela Y. pseudotuberculosis, na colonização e persistência da bactéria no baço e fígado dos animais infectados, nas quantidades de LT-CD4 e LT-CD8 durante a infecção e na produção das principais citocinas Th1 e Th2 por estas subpopulações de linfócitos. Além disso, foi verificado o papel destas Yops sobre a ativação do fator nuclear κB (NF-κB) e sobre a atividade citotóxica dos LT-CD8. Para isso, camundongos BALB/c fêmeas foram infectados intravenosamente com a amostra selvagem de Y. pseudotuberculosis (WT), ou com amostras mutantes incapazes de secretar as Yops E, H e M (YopE-, YopH- e YopM-), ou ainda com a amostra curada do plasmídeo de virulência (YpIII). No 5°, 7°, 14° e 21° dia pós-infecção (pi), os animais foram sacrificados e as células esplênicas foram obtidas de camundongos infectados e de camundongos não infectados (grupo controle). Os níveis de colonização no baço e no fígado foram determinados por... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The three pathogenic species of the genus Yersinia, Y. pestis, Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, share a tropism for lymphoid tissues and a 70-kb plasmid essential for virulence. The plasmid encodes a type III secretion system and effector proteins called Yops (Yersinia outer proteins). This secretion system is responsible for translocating the Yops into the host cells, where they interact with specific host targets and alter the functions of these cells. Yops are able to modulate the host immune defenses allowing the bacteria to replicate extracellularly in lymphoid tissues and organs. Although there is ample information on the mechanisms used by Yersinia to evade the innate immune system, very little is known about how it affects the adaptive immune response in vivo. The aim of this research was to analyze the influence of translocated Yops E, H and M of Y. pseudotuberculosis on the colonization and persistence of the bacterium in the spleen and liver of infected animals, on the quantities of CD4 and CD8 T cells during the infection and on the production of the main Th1 and Th2 cytokines by these lymphocyte subpopulations. In addition, it was verified the role of these same Yops on the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF- κB) and on the CD8 T cells cytotoxic activity. To this end, female BALB/c mice were infected intravenously with the wild type Y. pseudotuberculosis (WT), or with the mutant strains unable to secrete the Yops E, H and M (YopE-, YopH- and YopM-) or with the plasmid-cured strain (YpIII). On the 5th, 7th, 14th and 21st days post-infection (pi), the animals were sacrificed and the spleen cells were isolated from infected and uninfected mice (control group). The levels of colonization in the spleen and liver were determined by counting the number of colony-forming units. Both the phenotypic analysis of lymphocytes and the intracellular... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor