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

FEBS Lett. 2020 Feb;594(3):519-529. doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.13632. Epub 2019 Oct 22.

Abstract

The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia 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). Chlamydia trachomatis has been suggested to employ CERT to produce SM in the inclusion by host SM synthases (SMSs). Here, we found that C. trachomatis proliferates and produces infective progeny even in SMS1 and SMS2 double-knockout HeLa cells, but not in the SMS1/SMS2/CERT triple-knockout cells. Interestingly, infected cells convert ceramide to SM without host SMSs. These results suggest that C. trachomatis-infected cells can convert ceramide to SM without host SMSs after CERT-mediated transfer of ceramide to the inclusions.

Keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; CERT; HeLa cells; SGMS1; SGMS2; ceramide; inclusion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Ceramides / metabolism*
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / physiology*
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Sphingomyelins / metabolism*
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) / deficiency
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) / genetics
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) / metabolism

Substances

  • Ceramides
  • Sphingomyelins
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups)
  • phosphatidylcholine-ceramide phosphocholine transferase