Localized Leishmania major infection disrupts systemic iron homeostasis that can be controlled by oral iron supplementation.

ABSTRACT: Leishmania parasites are heavily dependent on efficient iron acquisition from a tightly regulated host iron pool for survival and virulence. Prior studies uncovered multiple strategies adopted by the parasite to hijack the iron-regulatory network of macrophages. Despite these extensive studies with infected macrophages, there is limited knowledge of the effect of Leishmania infection on systemic iron homeostasis. This issue is particularly relevant for Leishmania major, which causes localized skin infection with minimal lymphatic spread. We show for the first time that L. major infection in the mouse footpad induced influx of iron at the site of infection through blood with simultaneous upregulation of transferrin receptor 1 and downregulation of phagolysosomal iron exporter Nramp1 express

SUBMITTER: Banerjee S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10448173 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature