Trypanosoma cruzi Exploits Wnt Signaling Pathway to Promote Its Intracellular Replication in Macrophages

VOLPINI, XIMENA; AMBROSIO, LAURA F.; FOZZATTI, LAURA; INSFRAN, CONSTANZA; STEMPIN, CINTHIA C.; CERVI, LAURA; MOTRAN, CLAUDIA CRISTINA

Frontiers in Immunology

Frontiers Media

Año: 2018 vol. 9

uring the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, macrophages can act as host cells for the parasites as well as effector cells in the early anti-parasitic immune response. Thus, the targeting of specific signaling pathways could modulate macrophages response to restrict parasite replication and instruct an appropriate adaptive response. Recently, it has become evident that Wnt signaling has immunomodulatory functions during inflammation and infection. Here, we tested the hypothesis that during T. cruzi infection, the activation of Wnt signaling pathway in macrophages plays a role in modulating the inflammatory/tolerogenic response and therefore regulating the control of parasite replication. In this report, we show that early after T. cruzi infection of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM), β-catenin was activated and Wnt3a, Wnt5a, and some Frizzled receptors as well as Wnt/β-catenin pathway?s target genes were upregulated, with Wnt proteins signaling sustaining the ac