Chlamydia trachomatis ‐infected human cells convert ceramide to sphingomyelin without sphingomyelin synthases 1 and 2

AbstractThe obligate intracellular bacteriumChlamydia trachomatis proliferates in the membranous compartment inclusion formed in host cells. The host ceramide transport protein CERT delivers ceramide from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex for the synthesis of sphingomyelin (SM).C. trachomatis has been suggested to employ CERT to produce SM in the inclusion by host SM synthases (SMSs). Here, we found thatC. trachomatis proliferates and produces infective progeny even inSMS1 andSMS2 double knockout HeLa cells, but not in theSMS1/SMS2/CERT triple knockout cells. Interestingly, infected cells convert ceramide to SM without host SMSs. These results suggest thatC. trachomatis‐infected cells can convert ceramide to SM without host SMSs after CERT‐mediated transfer of ceramide to the inclusions.

Source: FEBS Letters - October 8, 2019 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Yuriko Tachida, Keigo Kumagai, Shota Sakai, Shuji Ando, Toshiyuki Yamaji, Kentaro Hanada Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research