Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 25, 2026

Investigating the Phagocytosis of Leishmania using Confocal Microscopy
08:41

Investigating the Phagocytosis of Leishmania using Confocal Microscopy

Published on: July 29, 2021

Neutrophil granulocytes--Trojan horses for Leishmania major and other intracellular microbes?

Tamás Laskay1, Ger van Zandbergen, Werner Solbach

  • 1Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany. Tamas.Laskay@hygiene.ukl.mu-luebeck.de

Trends in Microbiology
|June 5, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Certain pathogens, like Leishmania major, can survive and multiply within polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). These neutrophils then act as

Area of Science:

  • Immunology and Microbiology
  • Cellular and Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMNs) are crucial for the innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against pathogens.
  • However, some microorganisms have evolved mechanisms to evade destruction within neutrophils, surviving and even replicating inside them.
  • This intracellular survival challenges the host's immune response and can lead to persistent infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evasion strategies employed by intracellular pathogens within neutrophils.
  • To explore how pathogens manipulate neutrophils to facilitate their survival and replication.
  • To understand the role of neutrophils as potential vehicles for pathogen dissemination.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Leishmania major as a prototypic intracellular pathogen for experimental investigation.
  • Analyzed the interactions between Leishmania major and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs).
  • Examined the survival, replication, and infectivity of the pathogen within PMNs.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that Leishmania major can manipulate PMNs, using them as host cells.
  • Showed that pathogens survive and retain infectivity within PMNs.
  • Identified the ability of these pathogens to use PMNs as 'Trojan horses' before infecting macrophages.

Conclusions:

  • Pathogens can employ sophisticated evasion strategies, including the manipulation of innate immune cells like PMNs.
  • Neutrophils can be exploited by pathogens not only for survival but also for dissemination to secondary host cells.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is critical for developing effective therapies against intracellular infections.

More Related Videos

Quantification of Intracellular Growth Inside Macrophages is a Fast and Reliable Method for Assessing the Virulence of Leishmania Parasites10:01

Quantification of Intracellular Growth Inside Macrophages is a Fast and Reliable Method for Assessing the Virulence of Leishmania Parasites

Published on: March 16, 2018

In Vivo Infection with Leishmania amazonensis to Evaluate Parasite Virulence in Mice06:57

In Vivo Infection with Leishmania amazonensis to Evaluate Parasite Virulence in Mice

Published on: February 20, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Leishmaniasis01:30

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. The parasite exists in two principal morphological forms during its life cycle. A sandfly acquires intracellular amastigotes from an infected reservoir host, such as a dog. Within the sandfly, these forms differentiate into motile, flagellated promastigotes. During a subsequent blood meal, promastigotes are injected into the human host, where they...
Antiprotozoal Agents01:21

Antiprotozoal Agents

Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...
Diversity of Protists I01:15

Diversity of Protists I

Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
Trichomoniasis01:18

Trichomoniasis

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated protozoan parasite and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, one of the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infections in the United States. This extracellular parasite primarily colonizes the lower genitourinary tract in women—particularly the vagina—and in men, the urethra and prostate. Its structural and functional adaptations enable its survival, motility, and pathogenicity within the host environment.Structural Features and Host EntryT.
Colonisation of Pathogens01:25

Colonisation of Pathogens

Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...
Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes01:30

Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes

Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased by a...