GRAIL and Otubain are related to T cell hyporesponsiveness during Trypanosoma cruzi infection

CINTHIA STEMPIN; JORGE ROJAS M; YAMILE ANA; CERBAN F

PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Año: 2017 vol. 11 p. 1 - 1

1935-2735

ackgroundTrypanosoma cruzi infection is associated with severe T cell unresponsiveness to antigens and mitogens and is characterized by decreased IL-2 synthesis. On the other hand, acquisition of the anergic phenotype correlated with upregulation of gene related to anergy in lymphocytes (GRAIL) protein in CD4 T cells. We therefore sought to examine the role of GRAIL in CD4 T cell proliferation during T. cruzi infection.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe sought to examine the role of GRAIL in CD4 T cell proliferation during T. cruzi experimental infection. Balb/c mice were infected intraperitoneally with 500 blood derived trypomastigotes of Tulahuen strain, and spleen cells from control non-infected or infected animals were obtained. CD4 T cell proliferation was assessed by CFSE staining, and the expression of GRAIL in splenic T cells was measured by real-time PCR, flow cytometry and Western blot. We found an increased GRAIL expression at the early stages of infection, coincident w