Korean J Parasitol.  2006 Mar;44(1):15-20. 10.3347/kjp.2006.44.1.15.

Identification of differentially expressed cDNAs in Acanthamoeba culbertsoni after mouse brain passage

• Han KL
• Lee J
• Kim DS
• Park SJ
• Im KI
• Yong TS

• KMID: 1091831
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2006.44.1.15

Abstract

Free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba are causative agents of granulomatous amebic encephalitis and amebic keratitis. Because the virulence of Acanthamoeba culbertsoni cultured in the laboratory is restored by consecutive brain passages, we examined the genes induced in mouse brain-passaged A. culbertsoni by differential display reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). Enhanced A. culbertsoni virulence was observed during the second mouse brain passage, i.e., infected mouse mortality increased from 5% to 70%. Ten cDNAs induced during mouse brain passage were identified by DDRT-PCR and this was confirmed by northern blot analysis. BlastX searches of these cDNAs indicated the upregulations of genes encoding predictive NADH-dehydrogenase, proteasomal ATPase, and GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase B, which have previously been reported to be associated with A. culbertsoni virulence factors.

Keyword

Acanthamoeba culbertsoni; free-living ameba; mouse; DDRT-PCR; virulence

MeSH Terms

Virulence/genetics
Up-Regulation
Serial Passage
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
Molecular Sequence Data
Mice, Inbred ICR
Mice
Genes, Protozoan/genetics
*Gene Expression Regulation
Gene Expression Profiling/methods
DNA, Protozoan/biosynthesis/*physiology
DNA, Complementary/biosynthesis
Cloning, Molecular/methods
Brain/parasitology
Blotting, Northern/methods
Animals
Amebiasis/mortality/*parasitology
Acanthamoeba/*genetics/*pathogenicity