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Dive into the research topics where Andrés E. Ciocchini is active.

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Featured researches published by Andrés E. Ciocchini.


Nature Immunology | 2005

Cyclic |[beta]|-1,2-glucan is a brucella virulence factor required for intracellular survival

Beatriz Arellano-Reynoso; Nicolas Lapaque; Susana Salcedo; Gabriel Briones; Andrés E. Ciocchini; Rodolfo A. Ugalde; Edgardo Moreno; Ignacio Moriyón; Jean-Pierre Gorvel

Pathogenic brucella bacteria have developed strategies to persist for prolonged periods of time in host cells, avoiding innate immune responses. Here we show that the cyclic β-1,2-glucans (CβG) synthesized by brucella is important for circumventing host cell defenses. CβG acted in lipid rafts found on host cell membranes. CβG-deficient mutants failed to prevent phagosome-lysosome fusion and could not replicate. However, when treated with purified CβG or synthetic methyl-β-cyclodextrin, the mutants were able to control vacuole maturation by avoiding lysosome fusion, and this allowed intracellular brucella to survive and reach the endoplasmic reticulum. Fusion between the endoplasmic reticulum and the brucella-containing vacuole depended on the brucella virulence type IV secretion system but not on CβG. Brucella CβG is thus a virulence factor that interacts with lipid rafts and contributes to pathogen survival.


Microbial Cell Factories | 2012

Exploiting the Campylobacter jejuni protein glycosylation system for glycoengineering vaccines and diagnostic tools directed against brucellosis

Jeremy A. Iwashkiw; Messele A. Fentabil; Amirreza Faridmoayer; Dominic C. Mills; Mark S. Peppler; Cecilia Czibener; Andrés E. Ciocchini; Diego J. Comerci; Juan E. Ugalde; Mario F. Feldman

BackgroundImmune responses directed towards surface polysaccharides conjugated to proteins are effective in preventing colonization and infection of bacterial pathogens. Presently, the production of these conjugate vaccines requires intricate synthetic chemistry for obtaining, activating, and attaching the polysaccharides to protein carriers. Glycoproteins generated by engineering bacterial glycosylation machineries have been proposed to be a viable alternative to traditional conjugation methods.ResultsIn this work we expressed the C. jejuni oligosaccharyltansferase (OTase) PglB, responsible for N-linked protein glycosylation together with a suitable acceptor protein (AcrA) in Yersinia enterocolitica O9 cells. MS analysis of the acceptor protein demonstrated the transfer of a polymer of N-formylperosamine to AcrA in vivo. Because Y. enterocolitica O9 and Brucella abortus share an identical O polysaccharide structure, we explored the application of the resulting glycoprotein in vaccinology and diagnostics of brucellosis, one of the most common zoonotic diseases with over half a million new cases annually. Injection of the glycoprotein into mice generated an IgG response that recognized the O antigen of Brucella, although this response was not protective against a challenge with a virulent B. abortus strain. The recombinant glycoprotein coated onto magnetic beads was efficient in differentiating between naïve and infected bovine sera.ConclusionBacterial engineered glycoproteins show promising applications for the development on an array of diagnostics and immunoprotective opportunities in the future.


Journal of Bacteriology | 2006

The Brucella abortus Cyclic β-1,2-Glucan Virulence Factor Is Substituted with O-Ester-Linked Succinyl Residues

Mara S. Roset; Andrés E. Ciocchini; Rodolfo A. Ugalde; Nora Iñón de Iannino

Brucella periplasmic cyclic beta-1,2-glucan plays an important role during bacterium-host interaction. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry analysis, thin-layer chromatography, and DEAE-Sephadex chromatography were used to characterize Brucella abortus cyclic glucan. In the present study, we report that a fraction of B. abortus cyclic beta-1,2-glucan is substituted with succinyl residues, which confer anionic character on the cyclic beta-1,2-glucan. The oligosaccharide backbone is substituted at C-6 positions with an average of two succinyl residues per glucan molecule. This O-ester-linked succinyl residue is the only substituent of Brucella cyclic glucan. A B. abortus open reading frame (BAB1_1718) homologous to Rhodobacter sphaeroides glucan succinyltransferase (OpgC) was identified as the gene encoding the enzyme responsible for cyclic glucan modification. This gene was named cgm for cyclic glucan modifier and is highly conserved in Brucella melitensis and Brucella suis. Nucleotide sequencing revealed that B. abortus cgm consists of a 1,182-bp open reading frame coding for a predicted membrane protein of 393 amino acid residues (42.7 kDa) 39% identical to Rhodobacter sphaeroides succinyltransferase. cgm null mutants in B. abortus strains 2308 and S19 produced neutral glucans without succinyl residues, confirming the identity of this protein as the cyclic-glucan succinyltransferase enzyme. In this study, we demonstrate that succinyl substituents of cyclic beta-1,2-glucan of B. abortus are necessary for hypo-osmotic adaptation. On the other hand, intracellular multiplication and mouse spleen colonization are not affected in cgm mutants, indicating that cyclic-beta-1,2-glucan succinylation is not required for virulence and suggesting that no low-osmotic stress conditions must be overcome during infection.


Infection and Immunity | 2004

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of cgt, the Brucella abortus Cyclic β-1,2-Glucan Transporter Gene, and Its Role in Virulence

Mara S. Roset; Andrés E. Ciocchini; Rodolfo A. Ugalde; Nora Iñón de Iannino

ABSTRACT The animal pathogen Brucella abortus contains a gene cgt, which complemented Sinorhizobium meliloti nodule development (ndvA) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens chromosomal virulence (chvA) mutants. Complemented strains recovered the presence of anionic cyclic β-1,2-glucan, motility, tumor induction in A. tumefaciens, and nodule occupancy in S. meliloti, all traits strictly associated with the presence of cyclic β-1,2-glucan in the periplasm. Nucleotide sequencing revealed that B. abortus cgt contains a 1,797-bp open reading frame coding for a predicted membrane protein of 599 amino acids (65.9 kDa) that is 58.5 and 59.9% identical to S. meliloti NdvA and A. tumefaciens ChvA, respectively. Additionally, B. abortus cgt, like S. meliloti ndvA and A. tumefaciens chvA possesses ATP-binding motifs and the ABC signature domain features of a typical ABC transporter. Characterization of Cgt was carried out by the construction of null mutants in B. abortus 2308 and S19 backgrounds. Both mutants do not transport cyclic β-1,2-glucan to the periplasm, as shown by the absence of anionic cyclic glucan, and they display reduced virulence in mice and defective intracellular multiplication in HeLa cells. These results suggest that cyclic β-1,2-glucan must be transported into the periplasmatic space to exert its action as a virulence factor.


Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | 2007

A glycosyltransferase with a length-controlling activity as a mechanism to regulate the size of polysaccharides

Andrés E. Ciocchini; L. Soledad Guidolin; Adriana C. Casabuono; Alicia S. Couto; Nora Iñón de Iannino; Rodolfo A. Ugalde

Cyclic β-1,2-glucans (CβG) are osmolyte homopolysaccharides with a cyclic β-1,2-backbone of 17–25 glucose residues present in the periplasmic space of several bacteria. Initiation, elongation, and cyclization, the three distinctive reactions required for building the cyclic structure, are catalyzed by the same protein, the CβG synthase. The initiation activity catalyzes the transference of the first glucose from UDP-glucose to a yet-unidentified amino acid residue in the same protein. Elongation proceeds by the successive addition of glucose residues from UDP-glucose to the nonreducing end of the protein-linked β-1,2-oligosaccharide intermediate. Finally, the protein-linked intermediate is cyclized, and the cyclic glucan is released from the protein. These reactions do not explain, however, the mechanism by which the number of glucose residues in the cyclic structure is controlled. We now report that control of the degree of polymerization (DP) is carried out by a β-1,2-glucan phosphorylase present at the CβG synthase C-terminal domain. This last activity catalyzes the phosphorolysis of the β-1,2-glucosidic bond at the nonreducing end of the linear protein-linked intermediate, releasing glucose 1-phosphate. The DP is thus regulated by this “length-controlling” phosphorylase activity. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a control of the DP of homopolysaccharides.


PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases | 2013

Development and Validation of a Novel Diagnostic Test for Human Brucellosis Using a Glyco-engineered Antigen Coupled to Magnetic Beads

Andrés E. Ciocchini; Diego Rey Serantes; Luciano J. Melli; Jeremy A. Iwashkiw; Bettina Deodato; Jorge Wallach; Mario F. Feldman; Juan E. Ugalde; Diego J. Comerci

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis and still a major human health problem in endemic areas of the world. Although several diagnostic tools are available, most of them are difficult to implement especially in developing countries where complex health facilities are limited. Taking advantage of the identical structure and composition of the Brucella spp. and Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 O-polysaccharide, we explored the application of a recombinant Y. enterocolitica O:9-polysaccharide-protein conjugate (OAg-AcrA) as a novel antigen for diagnosis of human brucellosis. We have developed and validated an indirect immunoassay using OAg-AcrA coupled to magnetic beads. OAg-AcrA was produced and purified with high yields in Y. enterocolitica O:9 cells co-expressing the oligosaccharyltransferase PglB and the protein acceptor AcrA of Campylobacter jejuni without the need for culturing Brucella. Expression of PglB and AcrA in Y. enterocolitica resulted in the transfer of the host O-polysaccharide from its lipid carrier to AcrA. To validate the assay and determine the cutoff values, a receiver-operating characteristic analysis was performed using a panel of characterized serum samples obtained from healthy individuals and patients of different clinical groups. Our results indicate that, using this assay, it is possible to detect infection caused by the three main human brucellosis agents (B. abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis) and select different cutoff points to adjust sensitivity and specificity levels as needed. A cutoff value of 13.20% gave a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 98.57%, and a cutoff value of 16.15% resulted in a test sensitivity and specificity of 93.48% and 100%, respectively. The high diagnostic accuracy, low cost, reduced assay time and simplicity of this new glycoconjugate-magnetic beads assay makes it an attractive diagnostic tool for using not only in clinics and brucellosis reference laboratories but also in locations with limited laboratory infrastructure and/or minimally trained community health workers.


Biosensors and Bioelectronics | 2016

Electrochemical magnetic microbeads-based biosensor for point-of-care serodiagnosis of infectious diseases.

María E. Cortina; Luciano J. Melli; Mariano Roberti; Mijal Mass; Gloria Longinotti; Salvador Tropea; Paulina Lloret; Diego Rey Serantes; Francisco Salomón; Matías Lloret; Ana J. Caillava; Sabrina Restuccia; Jaime Altcheh; Carlos A. Buscaglia; Laura Malatto; Juan E. Ugalde; Liliana Fraigi; Carlos Moina; Gabriel Ybarra; Andrés E. Ciocchini; Diego J. Comerci

Access to appropriate diagnostic tools is an essential component in the evaluation and improvement of global health. Additionally, timely detection of infectious agents is critical in early diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. Conventional pathogen detection methods such as culturing, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) require long assay times, and complex and expensive instruments making them not adaptable to point-of-care (PoC) needs at resource-constrained places and primary care settings. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop portable, simple, rapid, and accurate methods for PoC detection of infections. Here, we present the development and validation of a portable, robust and inexpensive electrochemical magnetic microbeads-based biosensor (EMBIA) platform for PoC serodiagnosis of infectious diseases caused by different types of microorganisms (parasitic protozoa, bacteria and viruses). We demonstrate the potential use of the EMBIA platform for in situ diagnosis of human (Chagas disease and human brucellosis) and animal (bovine brucellosis and foot-and-mouth disease) infections clearly differentiating infected from non-infected individuals or animals. For Chagas disease, a more extensive validation of the test was performed showing that the EMBIA platform displayed an excellent diagnostic performance almost indistinguishable, in terms of specificity and sensitivity, from a fluorescent immunomagnetic assay and the conventional ELISA using the same combination of antigens. This platform technology could potentially be applicable to diagnose other infectious and non-infectious diseases as well as detection and/or quantification of biomarkers at the POC and primary care settings.


Journal of Bacteriology | 2004

Membrane Topology Analysis of Cyclic Glucan Synthase, a Virulence Determinant of Brucella abortus

Andrés E. Ciocchini; Mara S. Roset; Nora Iñón de Iannino; Rodolfo A. Ugalde

Brucella abortus cyclic glucan synthase (Cgs) is a 316-kDa (2,831-amino-acid) integral inner membrane protein that is responsible for the synthesis of cyclic beta-1,2-glucan by a novel mechanism in which the enzyme itself acts as a protein intermediate. B. abortus Cgs uses UDP-glucose as a sugar donor and has the three enzymatic activities necessary for synthesis of the cyclic polysaccharide (i.e., initiation, elongation, and cyclization). Cyclic glucan is required in B. abortus for effective host interaction and complete expression of virulence. To gain further insight into the structure and mechanism of action of B. abortus Cgs, we studied the membrane topology of the protein using a combination of in silico predictions, a genetic approach involving the construction of fusions between the cgs gene and the genes encoding alkaline phosphatase (phoA) and beta-galactosidase (lacZ), and site-directed chemical labeling of lysine residues. We found that B. abortus Cgs is a polytopic membrane protein with the amino and carboxyl termini located in the cytoplasm and with six transmembrane segments, transmembrane segments I (residues 419 to 441), II (residues 452 to 474), III (residues 819 to 841), IV (residues 847 to 869), V (residues 939 to 961), and VI (residues 968 to 990). The six transmembrane segments determine four large cytoplasmic domains and three very small periplasmic regions.


Journal of Clinical Microbiology | 2015

Serogroup-Specific Bacterial Engineered Glycoproteins as Novel Antigenic Targets for Diagnosis of Shiga Toxin-Producing-Escherichia coli-Associated Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome

Luciano J. Melli; Andrés E. Ciocchini; Ana J. Caillava; Nicolas F. Vozza; Isabel Chinen; Marta Rivas; Mario F. Feldman; Juan E. Ugalde; Diego J. Comerci

ABSTRACT Human infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major cause of postdiarrheal hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. E. coli O157:H7 is the dominant STEC serotype associated with HUS worldwide, although non-O157 STEC serogroups can cause a similar disease. The detection of anti-O157 E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies in combination with stool culture and detection of free fecal Shiga toxin considerably improves the diagnosis of STEC infections. In the present study, we exploited a bacterial glycoengineering technology to develop recombinant glycoproteins consisting of the O157, O145, or O121 polysaccharide attached to a carrier protein as serogroup-specific antigens for the serological diagnosis of STEC-associated HUS. Our results demonstrate that using these antigens in indirect ELISAs (glyco-iELISAs), it is possible to clearly discriminate between STEC O157-, O145-, and O121-infected patients and healthy children, as well as to confirm the diagnosis in HUS patients for whom the classical diagnostic procedures failed. Interestingly, a specific IgM response was detected in almost all the analyzed samples, indicating that it is possible to detect the infection in the early stages of the disease. Additionally, in all the culture-positive HUS patients, the serotype identified by glyco-iELISAs was in accordance with the serotype of the isolated strain, indicating that these antigens are valuable not only for diagnosing HUS caused by the O157, O145, and O121 serogroups but also for serotyping and guiding the subsequent steps to confirm diagnosis.


Molecular & Cellular Proteomics | 2015

Unravelling Glucan Recognition Systems by Glycome Microarrays Using the Designer Approach and Mass Spectrometry

Angelina S. Palma; Yan Liu; Hongtao Zhang; Yinbing Zhang; Barry V. McCleary; Guangli Yu; Qilin Huang; Leticia S. Guidolin; Andrés E. Ciocchini; Antonella Torosantucci; Denong Wang; Ana Luísa Carvalho; Carlos M. G. A. Fontes; Barbara Mulloy; Robert A. Childs; Ten Feizi; Wengang Chai

Glucans are polymers of d-glucose with differing linkages in linear or branched sequences. They are constituents of microbial and plant cell-walls and involved in important bio-recognition processes, including immunomodulation, anticancer activities, pathogen virulence, and plant cell-wall biodegradation. Translational possibilities for these activities in medicine and biotechnology are considerable. High-throughput micro-methods are needed to screen proteins for recognition of specific glucan sequences as a lead to structure–function studies and their exploitation. We describe construction of a “glucome” microarray, the first sequence-defined glycome-scale microarray, using a “designer” approach from targeted ligand-bearing glucans in conjunction with a novel high-sensitivity mass spectrometric sequencing method, as a screening tool to assign glucan recognition motifs. The glucome microarray comprises 153 oligosaccharide probes with high purity, representing major sequences in glucans. Negative-ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry with collision-induced dissociation was used for complete linkage analysis of gluco-oligosaccharides in linear “homo” and “hetero” and branched sequences. The system is validated using antibodies and carbohydrate-binding modules known to target α- or β-glucans in different biological contexts, extending knowledge on their specificities, and applied to reveal new information on glucan recognition by two signaling molecules of the immune system against pathogens: Dectin-1 and DC-SIGN. The sequencing of the glucan oligosaccharides by the MS method and their interrogation on the microarrays provides detailed information on linkage, sequence and chain length requirements of glucan-recognizing proteins, and are a sensitive means of revealing unsuspected sequences in the polysaccharides.

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Diego J. Comerci

National Scientific and Technical Research Council

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Juan E. Ugalde

National Scientific and Technical Research Council

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Luciano J. Melli

National Scientific and Technical Research Council

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Rodolfo A. Ugalde

National Scientific and Technical Research Council

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Nora Iñón de Iannino

Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales

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Diego Rey Serantes

National Scientific and Technical Research Council

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Leticia S. Guidolin

National Scientific and Technical Research Council

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Mara S. Roset

National Scientific and Technical Research Council

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Mario F. Feldman

Washington University in St. Louis

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María E. Cortina

National Scientific and Technical Research Council

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